Dear Bruce
by Jabberwocky92
Summary: DARK!BRUCE AU! Bruce Banner had secrets, the main one was hidden in a place SHIELD would never think to look. A young woman in Australia who held the key to The Hulk. But when SHIELD catch her and Thor brings a toddler!Loki to Earth to be placed under The Avengers protection, can friendships survive or will the doctor find out he is more like his father then he ever wanted?
1. Chapter 1

**Ok guys, props to The-First-Step for being awesome and helping me out with this story! Go read her epic Loki story, The Chronicles Of A Fallen Man. Because it is just awesome and contains The Purple Shirt Of Sex!**

**Everything in italics in this story is the emails between Bruce and the OC. I hope you enjoy and the rating may change later on, I don't know yet if that will be true or not. Please enjoy and no flaming, it hurts my feelings.  
**

* * *

Tony had been right, of bloody course! Stark Tower was everything that Bruce could ever dream wanting to have in a lab, and then a little bit more on top of that just to really rub it in. Everything was computerised in the house, even down to the shower, which had taken him more then an hour to figure out, before he had to ask a hysterically laughing Tony to help him out.

The sexual remarks hadn't slowed down for a week!

But ignoring Tony's obnoxious personality, it was really nice to be living in a 'home' setting once more, the others had moved in as well, much to Pepper's annoyance at the way Clint left his stuff just lying around and Natasha's habit of trailing blood through the apartment area after a mission.

The sound of the door opening and closing brought Bruce out of his day dream, his pen resting on the piece of paper that he had been using to scribble equations on had dried up from not having the cap on it for so long, served him right for using a fresh ink pen when he was prone to zoning out.

"I brought you some food, Pepper was complaining you look like shit once more." Tony said, placing the plate of steaming food in front of Bruce and on top of the equations, completely ignoring the scientists mutter of protest. Bruce watched as he moved back to where he was working on a new shock absorption system for his suit, after the other one didn't handle the battle very well.

"Thanks." Bruce finally said, picking up his fork and gently pushing the pasta around the plate, really not feeling hungry. "So I was thinking that I might run a few more tests on myself." He pushed the fork in to a piece of pasta and held it up, watching as the sauce fell off it and back on to the plate, knowing that Tony was glaring at him from his own work bench.

"Why?" Tony asked, forcing himself to keep the anger out of his voice. He had been worried since Bruce moved in that he was going to start more tests on himself, so far he had been to busy working on other things, but it seemed like the novelty had worn off and he was back to self testing.

"To make sure that I'm not leaking radiation towards anyone else." Bruce said, finally placing the pasta in his mouth and chewing on it. "Just to make sure I am safe to be around for long periods of time. I don't want one of you coming back saying you have cancer in a few years time because of me!"

Tony sighed, knowing that trying to fight with Bruce over this would end up in a slammed door and a very annoyed JARVIS. "Fine, but they better be non-invasive tests! No cutting pieces of skin off and such!" He finally said after glaring at Bruce was getting him no where, apart from glaring at Bruce whilst he picked at the pasta. "And bloody eat, it's not going to murder you if you stab it with a fork!"

Bruce grunted softly before moving the plate and going back to his equations, flinching as a rolled up ball of paper bounced off his head. Grudgingly he picked up the fork once more and started to pick at the pasta, his focus more on the equations then trying to get the food in his mouth, he flinched as the fork hit his cheek for the third time in the row, much to Tony's amusement.

"Shut up, Stark." He growled, which only resulted in Tony laughing harder.

* * *

Two hours had passed since Tony had walked in to the lab with food, the plate was finally empty and Bruce was enjoying being able to work once more in peace, though Tony was still in the room, they had an unspoken rule of no talking while they worked. Of course Tony being Tony always managed to break the rule after only five minutes, but Bruce had lent him his laptop to do some more calculations (Bruce's computer had a better filing system then Tony's model) and that had shut the older man up for a while.

"Hey Bruce, who is Tex?" Tony asked, making Bruce nearly snap the pen in two he was gripping it that hard. "Because they just sent you an email, Ooh and it has pictures on it!"

Bruce dropped the pen and snatched the lap top out of Tony's hands before the other man had manage to open the email and read it. "They are no one special." Bruce lied, moving back to his bench and placing the lap top on top of it, ignoring the fact it still held Tony's work on it.

"Well that's the biggest lie you've ever told me." Tony said, crossing his arms across his chest. "No one special normally doesn't warrant you snatching the lap top out of my hands and stalking back to your bench like a possessive ape!"

"Tex is just a research partner!" Bruce said, getting JARVIS to download Tony's work on to the main computer so that Tony could use that, before shutting the lid to his lap top down. "No one important, no one special, just a research partner. I am allowed to have them, am I not?"

"Of course you are! I wouldn't stop you, but it ju-"

"Drop it Tony. Your work is on the main computer, I'm going to my room before you start asking stupid questions."

Tony watched as Bruce walked out of the room, before the door had even shut he was on his tablet, trying to find out everything he could about Tex. "JARVIS why can I not hack in to Bruce's lap top?"

"Master Banner said that if I allowed you to hack his lap top one more time he would wipe my hard drive and upload my voice to sound like the woman from The Nanny. After searching who this woman was, I decided that I quiet like how I sound and I will not aggravate Master Banner any more then you already do." JARVIS replied.

"How the hell am I meant to find out who this Tex is?"

"I do not know, sir. Perhaps it is wise if you just give Master Banner his priva-"

"Mute."

* * *

Bruce sat down on his bed, quickly opened the lap top up and re-logged on, smiling as he saw the email from Tex sitting in his inbox unopened, he had been worried that Tony had opened it. His heart stung at the lie he had told Tony, Tex was way more then just a research partner, she was the most constant person in his life since the accident had happened. Tucked away safety a thousand miles away in Australia, the only contact she had with him was over the internet, which was in his mind, the safest contact.

Opening the email he smiled as he was greeted by her normal bright purple font and smilies.

_Hey Bruce!_

_Great job kicking ass in New York, I saw it on the TV the other week underground at Coober Pedy. Then a dust storm happened and the internet access decided to die, but right now I have perfect internet on the side of a road on the way up to Uluru to get some samples, apparently the government doesn't like it when people dump radioactive material in the desert._

_Before you ask, yes I'm sitting on top of my combie van with the lap top perched at a weird angle to get this connection, that's just how much I love ya babe! ;)_

_But getting down to serious business, did you see the photo I sent you? That's me on a camel mate! A camel! I wanted to shove it in the back of the van to bring it home with me, bastard wouldn't fit. :( Ok now seriously I'll get down to your questions before your eyes roll in to the top of your head and escape from you rolling them to much._

_Your worry about you leaking radioactive (GREEN DAY JUST CAME ON! FUCK YEAH!) particles in to the air and in to those around you might be a valid worry as you get older and your skin gets more thin. It might be worthwhile taking these samples to be analysed:_

_Blood_

_Skin scraping_

_Saliva_

_Semen_

_Hair follicle _

_Now from what I saw of the footage from the New York attack it seems that your hypothesis on how to control the other guy is true, now that being said, if you can control him by always keeping your anger at the forefront of your mind, perhaps you can start to work on a different emotion. I would suggest happiness, it is another strong emotion just like anger, though lust is probably the closest to anger that you can get with the chemical compounds of a mind, but I don't see you doing lust, so happiness it is._

_Are you blushing yet? :D_

_And congrats on moving in to Stark Tower, my friend sent me a text message about an article in a gossip magazine about Stark Tower becoming the new home of The Avengers. I'm glad that you have moved back in to civilisation again, just please leave Harlem out of it, it's not its fault it is Harlem, just let it be. But in all honestly, go out and have some fun, I demand a picture of you eating Pizza in your next email, if not I'll bring my new camel friend over there and kick your ass!_

_If you really are worried mate, just take the samples and send them over to my lab to have them analysed and I'll send you the results. I am sure that it is fine, but I know for your peace of mind you'll have to jab yourself at least a thousand times to make sure it isn't a fluke. _

_Just please promise me you will have fun and relax a little bit more, these people you are with are all fucked up in a way, that makes them perfect for you to be around, don't miss this opportunity out of fear. You have him under control, now it's time to move on to phase two._

_Tex._

_PS: No bikini pictures this week, couldn't be sure Stark wouldn't see the email. Bet you're blushing **now! **Xoxo_

Bruce covered his face with his hands, his cheeks burning from his embarrassment at the thought of Tex in a bikini. Quickly shoving the thought away in the folder of 'NEVER THINK ABOUT' in his mind, he happily started to click through the photos.

Even after seven years she had not changed, her hair was still a mess of waves, curls and frizziness, her blue eyes sparkled with laughter even when her face was in a serious expression and her dress sense was still jeans, boots and a t-shirt with random writing on it. The photos ranged from sunsets/sunrises, a pack of dingos, a random kangaroo scratching its butt by the side of the road, some photos of the dugout she slept in whilst at Coober Pedy and the photo of her with her arms in the air laughing hysterically on top of a very annoyed looking camel.

He knew instantly that the camel photo would be the one he printed out and put in his scrap book, he wouldn't dare stick it in a frame where the others would see, he would never live down the questions and remarks about who the woman was. He had shared so much of his life with them already, but Tex was going to be one thing that he kept to himself!


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys!**

**Thank you so much for the reviews/alerts and a few favourites. I am loving writing this story, I've already written up to chapter seven :D I'm glad you are all enjoying it, and please drop me a review, they make my day! And I am always happy to add people to my story as OCs if they wish, it's my way of giving back to my readers. :D  
**

* * *

Tex groaned as she rolled over in the small bed in the back of her combie van, she instantly came nose against nose of a large dog toy that took up half her bed and had stuffing coming out of its tail. She had owned the giant toy since she could remember, and no matter where her travels took her, it had always come along, it had even featured in some science magazines for their 'funny photos'. Nerds found nothing funnier then a dog toy dressed in a lab coat pretending to be making a Fraken-cat.

Looking at her watch she saw that she had an hour before she had to move out once more, she had timed the police doing their routes along this road, and she didn't feel like having to explain why she was so close to Uluru with radiation detection equipment and a giant dog toy. Moving off her bed she quickly got changed, she prided herself on her ability to change whilst lying down so she didn't hit her head on the ceiling of the van.

"Well dog, let's check to see if I got any... Why am I talking to a stuffed dog again?" She asked out loud, running her hands over her face. "I need human contact again before I revert back to caveman era!" She shook her head, not even wanting to look in the small mirror she had to see how bad her hair was sticking up, she had forgotten to braid it before bed and it was probably resembling a Wedge Tail Eagles nest this morning.

Shoving it up in to a pony tail after quickly running her fingers through it, she grabbed her lap top and climbed up to the top of her van, smiling as she found a mob of kangaroos randomly digging up roots and sunning in the early morning rays. Flicking on her lap top, she really needed to get a new one, this one was so out of date it was not funny. After ten minutes of waiting she finally got a good internet connection, though her legs were bent at a funny angle to help support her lap top (broadband reaching further networks her ass!) and she found the email reply from Bruce.

_Hey Tex!_

_Look, a photo of myself eating a giant slice of pizza, the guy in the back doing bunny ears on me is Captain America, Steve. Apparently Tony taught him how to do it and he's been doing it to any one he can manage, apart from Natasha because she is not a woman to mess with._

_But that wasn't what you asked, you asked for a pizza photo, so there you go. Now stop annoying me about having fun!_

_As for your advice on what samples to take, I have since taken all of them bar one, I am sure you can guess without me going in to detail over how it is hard to get that sample, one joke about balding and I will hunt you down because we **both **know I have managed the hair sample!_

_I have sent the samples over to your lab, no doubt you will be back there by the time they arrive in two days time. If not I have left instructions for Brett to take care of them, as I know that he will not ask questions. But I do hope you will be able to test them yourself, I don't want them getting in to the wrong hands, the world does not need another 'Other Guy'._

_I read your article in the science magazine about Anthrax and the Hippopotami in Africa, Tony agreed that it was a very well written out report and that it should be studied. It was rather amusing to see him agreeing with you, before going back to nagging me to tell him just who the hell Tex is. _

_Of course, I would never tell him how you got the nickname Tex, I will leave that for the very sad day that you meet Tony Stark._

_Please get back to me with the sample results as soon as you can so I know what to do. And don't you dare fob the results because you know I'm running the same tests over here. I don't care if people think I need human contact, what I need is to know that I am not going to cause damage!_

_Bruce._

_Ps: Cute camel!_

Tex laughed as she covered her face with her hands, her blush deepening as she remembered where she had gotten her nick name from. When she had been younger she was hell bent on calling a Hexagon a Texagon because that sounded cooler, so the nickname Tex had stuck with her, that was over ten years ago.

She couldn't help but admit to herself that Bruce was a very attractive man, even when he had Pizza in his mouth and someone else doing the bunny ears behind him. His eyes were sparkling with laughter, something that she hadn't seen in a few years in his pictures he sent her. She knew that she probably held the only copy of that photo on her hard drive, as no doubt Bruce would have deleted it as soon as he had uploaded it. He had always hated having his picture taken, much preferring to hide behind the green monster when it came to things like that.

Packing up her stuff to get back on the road, Tex knew that she would have to get back to the lab as fast as she could, she would probably leave her combie van at Alice Springs with a friend before getting a charter plan back to Melbourne and then a hire car to her lab in the outskirts of Melbourne, the lab that was hidden under a warehouse near the river.

The lab that no one knew about.

* * *

Testing the samples was a very basic thing, though it took her over a week to complete them all. She had to do it behind her work mates backs, which meant staying extra hours behind every one else, sometimes not staggering in to her apartment until three am in the morning, then leaving again at six.

But finally the samples had been done, and she had only found trace amounts of radiation in his blood, but it was so minuet that one would get more radiation from an x-ray then doing anything personal with him. But she knew that he still wouldn't let go of his control, he would probably redo the tests on himself five more times until he could take out every possible cause for a fluke reading.

But that was Bruce, she just hoped to what ever god she felt like in that particular moment (It turned out to be Ra) that his friends could understand that his obsession over making himself safe wasn't for their safety, it was for his own sanity.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony grumbled as once again his search for Tex was halted before it had even begun, there was no one in the world with that name, which of course there wouldn't be because who the hell would call their kid Tex? But even looking at user names in popular websites there was no one there known as Tex, it was about the only user name that hadn't been used!

Though he had to admit to the creativity of some perverted people in their choice of nicknames.

Even on the SHIELD data base, who had eyes on everyone and everywhere he couldn't come up with who Tex was, he knew that Bruce liked to keep his life private, but this was just getting crazy. He was Tony Goddamn Stark, he was one of the most intelligent people on the planet, yet he couldn't find one person?

Growling as he threw the phone to the couch he glared over at Bruce who chuckled behind the newspaper, the doctor was getting far to much enjoyment out of torturing Tony for Tony's liking. "You know, if you keep it up I'll blare porn in your room for a week straight, see how good your self control is then!" He snarled an empty threat, which only made Bruce chuckle even more.

"You know you could just tell him, Bruce." Steve said, walking in to the room at the precise moment Tony said his threat, his cheeks now flushed with embarrassment. "It will give us all peace of mind instead of listening to him complaining like a spoilt child who has had their toy taken away."

"Forgive me, but there are things in my life I like to be kept personal, Tex is one of them. So just drop it, ok?" Bruce said, rustling the paper as his phone went off to show that he had received an email. His heart rate picked up just slightly at the thought that it would be the results, but it ended up being just a generic funny email that Natasha had forwarded to all her contacts, he couldn't hide the disappointment that flicked across his face, and he knew that Tony had caught it.

"You know, I'm starting to think that it's a lover." Tony said, watching as Bruce rolled his eyes with a huff and went back to reading the paper. "Seriously, the way you react, I swear it's a lover! What do you think, Capsical, a lover?"

"Don't drag me in to this, I just came to watch TV." Steve said, pointing to where the TV was now playing a random show on fox. He raised an eyebrow as Bruce's phone went off once more and noted that the doctors cheeks became slightly more coloured in embarrassment as he read the email, a glance at Tony showed that he had noticed as well, but for once was keeping his mouth closed.

Only because Pepper had chosen that moment to walk in wearing the shortest shorts Steve had ever seen on a woman!

_I hate you._

_I just want to get it out there in the air._

_Why you may ask._

_Simple._

_LOOK WHAT I HAD TO BUY TODAY! Yes, they are hulk slippers, yes they are adorable and comfy and yes I am wearing them at my desk. Heck, I might even post them over to you to be signed by the team. That would be epic, I would be QUEEN NERD OF THE OFFICE I TELL YOU!_

_I kinda got banned from the lab again for doing the tests for you, but all samples were destroyed, hence the bosses anger. So I am stuck on desk duty for two weeks with suspended pay, but at least I have my hulk slippers! :{D it's a smilie with a moustache, it is Sir Smilie!_

_But anyway, back to why I emailed you now that the bitch rant is over._

_I got your results back, and you only have a minuet trace of radiation in your system, as your tests have probably shown the same thing. Mate you can get more radiation from an x-ray! If you really are worried where the radiation went from, I would suggest some controlled tests with the other guy, how to do them? I don't know, but maybe the radiation is centered around only him. I just don't know._

_So stop worrying, go out and have some fun, get back in to the swing of things, and try and find yourself a girl to hang out with. I really mean it Bruce, you can't spend your days locked up in a lab with hardly any human contact. It's no life, and I know you don't enjoy it, I can't be your only outside contact, Bruce. Anyway, I have to go, boss just found me writing this email and now I'm getting the 'You're in trouble' look._

_Because desk duty and suspended pay isn't trouble enough. If I lose my job, I am so taking a job up at KFC, I will find out the secrets to the eleven herbs and spices! I will!_

_Xoxo,_

_Tex._

_PS: Results are the other file I sent with this, the other one is HULK SLIPPERS MATE!_

_PPS: You look adorable with bunny ears and a slice of pizza! :D_

Bruce clicked on the attachment and started to read her findings, frowning as they matched perfectly with his. He wanted them to come back with more radiation, to give him a reason to hide away from humans once more and be left alone. He scratched his chin as he used his thumb to scroll the page down, frowning even more as the results just added up to what he dreaded, the radiation wasn't present in his form.

Making sure that Tony and Steve were busy in their argument over what to watch, he clicked on the photo, laughing when he saw the Hulk slippers. He quickly glanced over at the other two men, who were staring at him like he had gone mad. "Sorry, just something funny Natasha sent me." He quickly lied, getting rid of the picture in to a locked folder in his phone and then going back to reading the paper.

As much as he tried to concentrate on the story he was reading, his mind kept going back to Tex's words. He knew he should try and get back in to the dating game, he spent way to many lonely nights on chat messenger with her, he had even started to wonder what it would be like to have her actually in his room talking to him, instead of just a bunch of words and an icon on the internet. And that was a very dangerous thought to have, at least with her in Australia she wasn't likely to get dragged in to the crazy life that he had been dragged in to.

But he couldn't help himself, she was starting to get even deeper under his skin and in to his life. Heck he had gone out to pizza with the guys just to get the photo for her, he had even suggested it! Giving up on the paper he placed it next to him on the couch and glanced up at the TV, only to be faced with another news story on The Avengers, half listening he realised that Tony and Steve were listening to a gossip show.

"I'm not gay!" Clint yelled out from the kitchen, glaring at the TV screen. "Seriously, I like my life being private, that doesn't mean I'm gay! Jesus!" He threw a tea towel over his shoulder and scowled as he went back to drying the dishes. He had lost out on a coin toss with Natasha that night and was stuck on dishes duty, which really wasn't that bad seeing as most of them had just eaten the left over pizza from last night.

"And once again no one mentions me." Bruce said, rubbing his face with his hand. "Thank god." He frowned when he heard his phone go off again, this time he couldn't help the laughter that bubbled from his lips as he read what Tex had sent.

_I AM FREE! _

_TIME TO GET THOSE TWELVE HERBS AND SPICES!_

_This is the third job I've lost because of helping you, just to let you know I am counting :P_

_Skype in an hour?_

"I'm going for a shower and then heading to bed. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow." Bruce said as he stood up and stretched, watching as Tony battled with himself over if he should or should not make a sexual comment. "No I'm not going to go have cyber sex, don't even ask."

"You have no fun, dude!" Tony said, huffing as he sat back in the chair.

"Says the man watching female gossip shows..." Bruce shook his head and left the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Bruce couldn't help the smile that threatened to come out as Tex's face appeared on his lap top screen, her hair wet and falling in to her eyes, which she kept pushing away with her fingers. He noted that her nail polish was bright, neon yellow tonight, a change from her normal colour of purple. He quickly made sure that the headphones were plugged in before turning the sound on, he didn't want Tony or anyone to hear her voice, the questions would never end.

"Hello there handsome!" Tex said, her voice cheerfully bright for someone who had just been fired from her job. "Before you ask, there is no way in hell they can get their hands on the samples, it was why I was fired. Boss wanted to test them to see if he can duplicate what happened to you, I told him to have fun shifting through the ashes."

Bruce frowned as she held up a bag containing ashes, before he finally realised what she had done and laughed. "You always were over cautious." He said, playing with the edge of his shirt while she chuckled, he had forgotten how nice her laugh sounded. They hadn't spoken face to face since before New York, and that had only been a quick chat session to let him know that she was still alive after a bush fire had ripped through her town.

"Yeah, sorry for not wanting another guy out there with your powers. If I hadn't of done it you would have snapped at me for not being cautious enough. But anyway, tell me all knowing one, did your results match up perfectly with mine?"

"You know they did, Tex. I just wish they wouldn't. I mean, the thought that it has vanished from me is just... It shouldn't happen, Tex!" He sighed as he ran his hands through his hair, messing it up even more. "What does this mean? It just... It doesn't make sense! I absorbed that much radiation, and it just vanishes in my body?" He threw his hands up in the air, knocking the headphones out of the socket as he started to pace back and forth, not caring if Tony or one of the others heard Tex's voice.

"Have you thought that every time you change it gets rid of a bit more radiation? Think about it, changing in to the other guy might be what is keeping you alive!"

"I GUESSED THAT WHEN I PUT A BULLET IN MY MOUTH!"

"Bruce, don't yell at me. I'm not having a go, I'm trying to discuss this with you in a scientific manner, but if we are going to show off battle scars."

Bruce flinched as she showed him the two scars running down both arms, even after all these years they still looked as bad as he remembered. He quickly turned away from the screen mumbling an apology. He ran his hands through his hair once more and tugged on a knot, flinching at the slight pain of it before resuming his pacing.

"Now listen to me without yelling at me. What if the other guy is a way to let off some of the radioactive material that you were hit with? This would explain why your radiation level has gone down to a minuet level after New York, he was used a lot in those days. Perhaps if you don't let him out you get a build up of the material, but letting him out is kinda like an exhaust? Cleansing you of the built up radiation until it builds up once more."

"But what does that make him?"

"A radioactive My Hyde? I don't know, Bruce. I don't know. I'm trying to understand it as best as I can, but it's hard trying to understand something I've never seen in real life. Photos, videos and samples only do so much, Bruce. If you really want a proper reading I need to..."

"No! I am not having you come over in to this life. SHIELD will probably snatch you up as soon as you landed to figure out what you know about me. No, it is safer if you stay were you are."

"And what, work at KFC for the rest of my life and let my brain rot in to mush? Bruce you want this studied as much as I do..." Tex let her sentence cut off with a groan when Bruce glared at her. "Get the stick out of your ass, Bruce. You have it under control, Jesus you showed that in New York when you changed on command! And if that is not a sign you have it under control I don't know what is."

"What do you think that means, Tex? That I can have a family one day? A little house with a white picket fence and a couple of kids running around! Hell, maybe the kids will have their own other guys to deal with, that would make two year old temper tantrums so much _fun_! Life isn't fair, Tex. We don't always get what we want, we just have to live with that."

"You could adopt."

"I'm not getting in to this conversation."

"I've already said that I would be happy to fake marry you and adopt a kid with you, the offer still stands."

"I don't want to ruin your life."

"Really? I think I'm doing a pretty good job at that my self." Tex laughed and waited for Bruce to walk back over and sit down at the computer screen. "Life is what we make of it, Bruce. Nothing more and nothing less, sometimes I want to hit you with a Tuna fish until you believe it."

"Tuna fish?"

"Camel is to big to swing around."

"Tuna fish would be to slippery, it might slip from your grasp."

"Good point... Honey badger?"

Bruce laughed as he shook his head, the smile not leaving his face when he finally calmed down enough to talk once more. "I better go, I can hear someone coming and the last thing I need is awkward questions about who I am talking to."

"Oh just say it's a strip show online, even awesome rage monsters need to release some tension now and then."

"Goodbye, Tex."

"Seriously, I can do it slowly to Barry White if you like."

"Tex!"

"Haha! You're blushing, love ya!"

Before Bruce could say another world Tex had signed off after blowing him a kiss, just as the door to his room opened. "We're going to watch a horror movie, do you wanna come and see it? I think Tony wants to see if you change from fear." Clint asked, propping himself against the door frame and smiling at Bruce.

"I don't change due to horror movies, it was a way I learnt to keep my heart rate down. But sure, I'll come and watch it." Bruce said, standing up and turning the computer off, grabbing his phone and putting it in his pocket before following Clint out of the room.

"Who ever she was, she was pretty." Clint said, keeping his voice down low so no one but Bruce could hear him.

"Yeah. Yeah she is."

* * *

An hour and a half later saw Clint hiding his head in Natasha's shoulder, Steve looking like he was about to vomit, Bruce playing on his phone whilst Tony watched the movie and shoved popcorn in to his mouth.

"Pussies." He said, laughing when Clint flipped him off. "And just think, there are even more movies after this one."

"I think I am going to be sick!" Clint mumbled, shuddering as he glanced at the screen.

"Who would have thought, the great avengers can't handle Saw." Pepper said, laughing as Bruce flinched at the sound of the blood splatter.


	5. Chapter 5

"We've got her sir!" Maria called, looking over her shoulder to Director Fury. "Dr Banner just opened up a video chat to her, facial recognition program is running as we speak."

"Good, tell me as soon as we get a match so we can get a team up in the air." Director Fury called back, moving to look at a few more computer screens. He didn't want to have to go as far as kidnapping the woman, but he needed someone with inside information on Dr Banner. And they had been trying to track her down for years, it was hard when Dr Banner was so good at covering his tracks, but it seemed that he had slipped up finally.

"Sir, I have a match. She is Dr Dianne Grey, graduated Melbourne University with a degree in Nuclear Science and a minor in languages. She is twenty five, she was fast tracked through Uni it seems by a program over there run by the Australian SHIELD, last known whereabouts is from three years ago. She's just vanished off the radar, sir." Maria said, moving her chair over a little bit so that Director Fury could read the report on the screen. "She went in to service with SHIELD and now she's gone."

"Damn it! Banner would have been the one to help her hide! Where was her last known address?" Nick resisted the urge to slam his fists down on the table, once again they had been so close and she had slipped out of their grasp.

"Melbourne sir, she lived at the university dorms. Are we sure this is the woman he sent the samples to?"

"I'm positive, Hill. She's the one." Nick stared at the smiling face of the young woman, the photo was old but he was sure she wouldn't have changed that much over the years. 'He met her online on a science board years ago, she was complaining about her professor being wrong over an equation. She nearly died when she realised she was talking to Dr Banner."

"Why is she so important sir? I don't understand why him having a friend is so bad."

"He sends her samples to analyse for him, samples of himself and the Hulk. He trusts her more then anything in the world, it is why he is keeping her so well hidden. Get a hold of Australia SHIELD and see just what the hell she did there. I want a report on my desk of everything she did and everywhere she went in the next two hours."

"Yes sir!" Maria said, quickly moving off to her office to gather the information for him, knowing that if he had to wait she would not want to be in the same room as him.

* * *

"Dianne go. They are asking questions about you. I'm sorry, but they must have found you once more. The safe house is available for you to use, and I am sure the internet is still working but I would send your ip through a few satellites before you sent the email to him. You had to befriend a super hero, didn't you? I love you, baby girl. Keep safe."

The message stopped and Tex growled in complete frustration, of course they would find her, they had been trying to find her for years now to see what information she had on Hulk that they didn't have. "And I only just unpacked my bag." She muttered, gathering up her personal stuff and shoving them back in to her bag.

Her apartments were always devoid of personal things, the only thing she kept was a photo of her mum and dad with her as a toddler at Melbourne Show, a photo of Bruce that he sent her from Thailand, a bed, three suitcases filled with her clothing and a mini fridge. She had gotten used to travelling light so she could pack and be gone within ten minutes, vanishing without a trace to the safe house for a day to send word to Bruce that they were after her, and then moving to another place.

"Thank god I lost my job, eh dog?" She asked, shoving the toy in to a garbage bag so that it was easier to carry. "Thank god mum got to me early, I don't feel like doing a five minute dash. Last time I forgot my underwear!"

Gathering the very few things out of her mini fridge and shoving them in to an esky, she hurried to get everything packed in to her van, her friend had driven it down for her and changed the number plates for her, they now read 'Sassy' in purple letters. Shoving everything in to the back she took once last look at the town house she had called home for the past two months before getting in to the drivers seat.

"I did have to befriend a super hero." She sighed as she pulled the sim from her phone and slipped it in her bra, before throwing the phone out the vans window in to the garden and driving away. "Bye, bye Richmond, hello open road!"

* * *

"Sir..." Maria knocked on Director Fury's door and poked her head around. "The team just reported in... She slipped through their fingers and is on the run again. They found her phone in the garden, when they turned it on they were greeted with a picture of her flipping the camera the bird and the words 'Close but no cigar'."

"Was there anything she left behind? Tell me they found something of use!" Nick said, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table. "Or are they that stupid when it comes to bringing someone in? How did she find out they were looking for her?"

"Her mother works for SHIELD we believe, we just don't know who it is. She must have warned her before they were sent to search the town house. The director of Australia SHIELD is interviewing the workers now to see who leaked the information, she will get back to me as soon as she finds anything out."

"As soon as you find out who leaked the information, I want them in thirty days detention with no contact to the outside world!"

"Sir, that's a bit harsh!"

"I want this woman found! I don't care how many people have to go in detention. I will search every single part of that country for her! Now get me the best damn agents we have!"

"Yes sir."

"Now!"

* * *

The good old safe house, an old cottage deep in the middle of the bush. When Tex had arrived she found an echidna asleep on the front porch in the afternoon sun, she had left it there whilst she went in and got herself settled. Within ten minutes she had set up the computer to run through several satellites to hide her position, finally settling on a signal that made it look like she was sending it from New York.

Quickly logging on to her email she typed out a quick message.

_Bruce._

_Saya aman sekarang. Agen SHIELD dikirim ke rumah saya untuk saya, tapi melarikan diri. Jangan khawatir tentang saya, saya akan meninggalkan radar selama beberapa hari sampai aku datang dengan rencana._

_Harap jangan melakukan sesuatu yang bodoh, kami berdua tahu ini akan terjadi setelah New York. Saya sebelumnya tersembunyi, saya akan menyembunyikan lagi._

_Silahkan aman._

_Aku mencintaimu_

Pausing, Tex quickly backspaced the last two words with a blush before sending it to Bruce. Logging off as soon as the message had sent she looked around the bare room, noting that the worn blanket she had used last time was still there as well as the fire wood to make a camp fire. Sighing as she went to the cupboard to get flour and a bottle of water, she set about making some damper for dinner.

* * *

**Translation of the email, it was written in Indonesian:**

**Bruce.  
I am safe now. SHIELD agent sent to my house for me, but fled. Do not worry about me, I'll leave the radar for a few days until I come up with a plan.  
Please do not do something stupid, we both knew this would happen after New York. I had previously hidden, I will hide again.  
Please be safe.  
I love you **


	6. Chapter 6

"Where are you going this time, Clint?" Darcy asked, her legs dangling over the side of the bench that she sat on, happily hitting her heels against the wood as she watched him pack food in to his bag, his armour already on.

"I have to go track someone in Australia." Clint said, ignoring the small look of terror that passed over Bruce's face, which was soon hidden behind a facade of indifference. "Fury wants them brought in as soon as possible, he is sending in the very best agents he has."

"Why? What is it, female Loki?" Darcy asked, frowning as she tried to figure out what a female Loki would look like. _Probably like a fucking super model! _She thought, huffing as she looked back at Clint, taking the time to admire his behind as he was bent over getting something from the fridge.

"Stop staring at my ass before I start charging." Clint said, laughing when he heard Darcy's sharp intake at getting caught. "And no, she's a scientist I believe. I haven't been told much, just given an old photo and the instructions to fetch."

"Have fun, Australia is a bitch of a country." Tony said, walking in to the room and frowning at the small computer monitor he held in his hand. "I haven't picked up her face in any cameras, so she's good at avoiding them, which isn't hard, Australia is huge and the cameras are really only in the metropolitan areas. If she gets out in to the country you are fucked big time."

Bruce's hands shook as he once again read the message from Tex, before deleting it off his phone and going back to reading the paper, trying to look as normal as possible. He didn't want any attention drawn to him, because he honestly didn't know how long he could cope before the worry and guilt swallowed him up. If only he hadn't have been so stupid to send her those samples! He flinched as the page ripped when he tried to flick it over, glancing up to see if anyone had noticed, but they were still to busy discussing tracking tactics.

"Well I've got JARVIS searching every camera, as soon as he picks her up I'll let you know. The jet should pick you up at the nearest airport, I've got it positioned at Essendon Airport in one of the hangers, so it will be ready to go as soon as you pick her up. The flight plan is booked and will only need an hour to take affect, you'll fly straight from there to Miami where Happy will pick her up and bring her here."

Bruce dropped the paper in shock and stared at Tony as if he had grown a second head. "W-w-what?" He stammered, glaring as both Tony and Clint chuckled. "What is going on, Stark?" He asked, not being able to hide the anger in his voice.

"We're not going to serve her up to Fury, hell we are bastards, but we have a heart!" Tony said, tapping the Arc Reactor with a smug smile. "JARVIS warned me as soon as they put the order out, he flagged it as something to do with you, it was only when I saw the picture that I put two and two together, no wonder I couldn't find anything to do with a Tex, that's a nickname! I was so stupid I nearly hit myself in the head!"

"Why do they want her?" Bruce demanded, standing up and clinging to his phone, he let it drop to the counter when he accidentally cracked the screen from how hard he was holding it.

"They want to see what she knows about you, they caught on when you sent the last samples and she refused to give them to her boss. He raised the alarm as soon as she had left. They think she holds all the answers that you won't give them."

"I'VE GIVEN THEM EVERYTHING!" Bruce yelled, slamming his fists on to the counter. "EVERYTHING THEY ASKED FOR I GAVE THEM! THIS WAS ONE THING I WANTED TO KEEP SECRET, JUST ONE FUCKING THING! THEY CAN'T EVEN LET ME HAVE THAT? I SAVED THE FUCKING **WORLD **AND THEY STILL DON'T TRUST ME?"

"Bruce calm down!" Tony said, putting his hands up as Clint dragged Darcy from the room and shut the door, watching as the doctors skin slowly turned green and then flashed back to pink. "Bruce please calm down, no one is going to hurt her. We are bringing her here to keep her safe, please we are not giving her to SHIELD."

Bruce clung to the counter hard enough to crack the marble, his breath coming out in ragged gasps as he fought with his other side. Finally being able to calm his heart rate down enough that the threat of turning was gone, he managed to hiss between his clenched teeth. "She has a safe house, hidden in the bush. That's all I know. She should move out in a few days, probably to Coober Pedy or she might stick to the small towns." He gasped down some more breaths and stood up, staring at Clint. "She'll stick to where there are no cameras, she will not use public transport or main supermarkets. She'll shop at truck stops and sleep at the side of the road. She knows how to hide, she's done it before when they've wanted to bring her in."

"They've tried this before? Why the hell doesn't she just come in?" Tony asked, staring at Bruce. "I mean, answer a few questions and then leave, how hard can it be!"

"Tony, she knows more about me then anyone else, everything that I have done I have crossed referenced with her. For seven years she has helped me, she is the most constant thing in my life, if they bring her in, I lose the last piece of my life that they don't own. Keep her in Miami, I don't want her near me, it's to dangerous. I just showed you that." Without another word Bruce walked out of the room, leaving Clint and Tony to stare after him in shock.

"I better head off, the jet leaves in an hour." Clint said, giving Tony a tight smile before walking out of the room.

"JARVIS, keep an eye on Bruce, if he does anything stupid let me know immediately, I don't care if he tells you not to!" Tony said, staring at the roof.

"Yes sir." JARVIS replied, before falling silent once more.

Tony grumbled as he hit the monitor, he could understand how Bruce felt and he was amazed that he had kept her secret for seven years. Walking out of the room and down to the lab, he grinned as the monitor in his hands beeped with a match, quickly using a program that he had hidden from SHIELD he deleted the record and photo from the data base so that SHIELD could not find it, smirking as he sat down in the seat and went back to work on his latest project, ready to delete another photo record of her if she was caught by a hidden camera once more.

* * *

"Sir the photo just vanished before we got a good look at it." Maria said, staring as the vein in Nick Fury's head looked like it was about to burst out of his skin and make a run for it. "We don't know who has the technology to do that, but we are sure it is not Dr Banner. He was seen fifteen minutes ago with Steve entering a Thai take out place."

"We both know it wouldn't be Banner!" Nick snapped, grabbing his phone and punching in Tony's number, grinding his teeth as Tony answered it in a sarcastically pleasant voice. "Stop fucking with us, Stark."

"My dear Director, if I was fucking you, you would know it." Tony replied in a lazy tone, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he used both hands to extract the small amount of Uranium he had managed to get. "But I see you have found my new toy."

"What are you playing at, Stark?"

"Well simple, I'm helping a friend out. You don't own us, Nick, you never have. And the thing is, you need us as your friend, not your enemy. But right now, I'm happy to sit back and watch the world burn, fuck I'll let Loki back in so he can have some fun. Don't you think that what you are doing is wrong?"

"We must keep tabs on everyone who has contact with you all, you know that as well as I do, it's for security Tony, nothing more."

"Yes, just like condoms are for birth control and not for anything else. Listen, I'm real busy right now running my new little toy, and if you try to disable it, I'll disable every single camera in Australia. Got it? I'm not letting you take this part of Bruce without a fight, the guy has been through enough."

"Tony I am warning you."

"By the way Director, do you know how much fun it is to work with Uranium? I should use it more often. Goodnight."

"STARK!"

Nick threw the phone across the room as the dial tone rang out from the ear piece. Maria took that as her cue to quietly leave the office before anything else was thrown around, or his anger was directed at her. She had to hand it to Stark, he was a loyal friend, even when that meant going against SHIELD.


	7. Chapter 7

**Three Months Later:**

"Director I'm sorry, but if your best agents have not found her, I request that they leave this country. They have been here for three months and you still have not given me a proper reason for why you want this girl."

Nick Fury ground his teeth and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, trying his hardest not to punch the keyboard to disconnect the chat, he knew the Director of Australia SHIELD was having a field day over the fact that his agents had still not found Dianne, but there was nothing he could do. They needed to bring her in and question her, but no matter what they tried, they had not tracked her down, and he was starting to feel like a fool!

"They will not be leaving the country until she is in custody!" He finally said after calming himself down from screaming at her, the last time he had she had just laughed at him and told him to behave. "We need her to answer questions, had we known the contact she had whilst working for you we would have asked for a transfer of all her paper work..."

"But as you know paperwork is destroyed as soon as someone leaves." The woman cut off, spinning on her chair a little bit in boredom, she was starting to get sick of dealing with him. "Listen director Fury, Dianne is fantastic at hiding, look at her photo, she is the most ordinary looking person around, and there is a reason for that. She can slip in to any area that she wishes to and instantly join in, a chameleon we call her, you have one on your team as well. This was perfect for missions, but when she left it turned in to something that made it difficult to track her, plus her knowledge of small towns and off the radar locations is admirable as well as annoying. I am sorry Director, but SHIELD will no longer help you find her until you give me a full report on _why_ she _must _be found in the first place. As you continue to refuse to do so, I have no other option but to terminate our help."

"With all due respect Director Ice, I don't care if you help us or not, my men will find her and they will bring her in for questioning. I am sure they are close to finding her any day now."

"Good luck with that Director Fury, and when you find her, please tell me how you managed it." She moved her finger to disconnect the chat, before pausing and looking at him, her green eyes narrowing. "And her presenting herself to your agent out of pure boredom does not count."

Before Director Fury could answer she had disconnected the chat, glaring at one of the guards who dared chuckle he stormed out of the room. He would keep Clint down there all bloody year if it took that long, he needed the answers that the girl held!

* * *

"Three months, this is insane! Bruce tell her to meet Barton so that we can get her over here!" Tony said, throwing his hands up in the air and staring at Bruce as he shook his head. "What do you mean no? I know you don't want her found, but I need Clint back here to do some tests and Fury isn't going to let him come back without her, so get her ass to Barton and let's go! This is getting annoying."

"She doesn't want to be picked up." Bruce said, flicking through his phone to look at the picture Tex had sent him, it was a dingo in front of a setting sun, a very beautiful picture that was now his background. "She doesn't want to be brought over here because she knows that she won't handle the interrogation by Fury, so it is safer for her to stay there."

"That's great, huge claps for her being loyal, but this is getting fucking ridiculous! My programs aren't even picking her up! And my programs are the best in the world! JARVIS tell him you are the best AI system in the world!"

"I am currently the number one Artificial Intelligence system in the world, although a number of countries are trying to recreate me." JARVIS said.

"Give up, Tony. She will be found when she wants to be found, but I will send her an email and Clint's location, hopefully she will play nicely." Bruce fiddled with his phone before typing a quick email out in Latin and sent it to her.

"Did you just send that in Latin?" Tony asked, frowning as he learnt something knew about the doctor.

"Yes."

"Are you going to elaborate on why you know Latin?"

"No."

"Tell me when she responds."

"Will do."

* * *

"You know for a SHIELD agent, you really don't know what you are doing..."

Clint spun around, arrow already notched and drawn, he glared at the tall woman who had walked in to the clearing with a bag slung over her shoulder and a dog toy under her arm.

"Though I must say, after three months this is the closest you have ever gotten to me... But I knew you were here, see you made a rookies mistake." The woman dropped the dog toy on the sleeping bag and then moved to the fire, picking up a branch of gum leaves and smirking at him. "You used them fresh, stupid, stupid idea when hiding. See these bastards stink the whole area out, I smelt you twenty minutes ago before I even found the path."

"I am guessing you are Dianne." Clint said, putting his bow down but keeping the arrow notched in case he needed to defend himself. "Purple hair, that's a change from the photo."

"Started to work as a burlesque dancer, needed a change."

"Sarcastic, I can see why Bruce wants to keep you secret."

"Well not any more, he was the one that told me to find you here. He said Fury is about to go ape shit, of course he said it with more class then that." She placed her bag by the sleeping bag and crossed her arms over her chest, Clint saw the handle of a knife tucked in to the waist band of her pants, as well as a tattoo peeking over the top of her collar. "What do you want from me?"

"Fury wants answers, answers that Bruce is not willing to share with him..."

"For good reason too!" Tex cut him off with a glare. "If they get their hands on those answers then we will have more then just one guy running around as a ticking time bomb! They want to recreate him in a safe style, the power of the hulk but with less triggers." She bent over and dug around her bag, before pulling out a file and throwing it at his feet.

"Project 66H. No doubt your boss has hidden it from you, and you might want to burn this copy once you are finished reading it, otherwise both our heads will be on the chopping board. Basically, if you are to scared to touch the folder, it's to create a human hulk. Using samples from Bruce to strengthen humans. I know they have done it before with Captain America, a super soldier, but this is different. These people wouldn't be super in any way other then using the full ability of their brains and strength. A good idea in theory, but just remember they will use them as weapons, human army more powerful then anything else, but can be stopped just as easy as killing a normal human."

Tex watched as Clint bent down and scooped the folder up, placing his bow and arrow down on the sleeping bag next to the toy as he read it, his frown slowly becoming more and more deep. "You see..." Tex begun, making herself comfortable by the fire and throwing another log on it. "SHIELD is a government agency, no matter what they say on the lid, there is always more shit down the bottom. They wanted me on this project a long time ago, luckily for me my mother is head honcho over here, Director Ice. She helped me leave, and she's been keeping you off my trail for three months now, god help her if Fury ever finds out."

"Why didn't you do it?" Clint asked, staring down at her. "Most scientists would jump at the chance to work with a project of this scale. It would make you millions, famous even."

Tex snorted in laughter, before digging around her bag to pull out a can of tinned baked beans, happily opening it up and eating it with the blade of her knife. "I don't sell out my friends, Agent Barton. Even more so when my friend turns in to a giant rage monster and would kill me if I ever did. No, I'm not interested in the project and I would personally kill anyone who tried to get their hands on the stuff they need. He is a man, Agent Barton, not a lab rat."

Clint nodded once and moved to his bag, pulling out the secure phone that Tony had given him and flicking it open, it took seven rings for Tony to pick up. "I got her, she's sitting here eating beans with the back of a knife, one that I am sure Natasha would love to get her hands on. Tell Darcy I'm not bringing a koala back with me, I can hear her in the damn background. Yes, tell Bruce she is safe, though her hair is now purple, I don't believe the job she took, but god knows... Yes she said she was a burlesque dancer... Ok I'll ask her..." Clint moved the phone from his face and turned to look at Tex, who was watching him with a raised eyebrow in amusement.

"Bruce wanted to know if you wore red or black on stage?"

Tex laughed and licked the knife free from the tomato sauce, before responding. "For him it will always be _green_."

"She said that it would always be green..." Clint said in to the phone, getting the feeling that he was missing something more important then a discussion on burlesque dancing. "Erm... Ok I'll ask, but you better explain quickly before I start to believe this!" Turning to Tex, who was now cleaning the knife with a hanky he asked his question. "He wants to know if you wore a garter with a blood red diamond?"

"Not this time, my garter stayed diamond free, though my bra did get a few tips."

"You know what, you tell him!" Clint said, shoving the phone to Tex and shuddering. He really didn't want to know what they were talking about, or what Dr Banner was in to!

"Hey honey!" Tex purred in to the phone, making Clint shudder once again, before frowning as she started to speak in a different language. "No, I didn't have to, I stayed with Fi. Everything from my work is in the bag, yes including the other things. Yes I brought that and showed him, yes I'll get rid of it in three minutes once he's finished reading it... … … Yes I do believe he thinks I'm now a burlesque dancer... I'll explain it once we are in the air. Yes my hair is actually purple, I'll send you a photo from the jet. Bruce, can we trust him? Fine, I'll go like a good girl."

Tex waited for Bruce to say goodbye before handing the phone back to a very confused Clint. "What the fuck did you two just sa- Oh, it's you Tony. Yeah, we'll be in the air in two hours, I'll text you then." Hanging up he looked to find that Tex had already put the fire out and was starting to pack up the camping site, making it look like no one had been there.

"Well, let's get going."

"Who _are _you?"

"Tex, the girl who holds the secrets to the Hulk. I'm also a kick ass Guitar Hero player."


	8. Chapter 8

"After all that, an email from you made her go to Barton?" Tony asked, rounding on Bruce and slamming his hands down on the table. "That was all you had to do? WHY THE HELL DID YOU NOT DO THAT BEFORE?"

"Because I didn't want her to be brought in. But Clint was getting close, it was easier to get her to go to him then one of them showing up with cuts, bruises and blood loss because he had to force her." Bruce said, pausing as he stirred the rice that was slowly coming to a boil. "And to be completely honest, I myself am shocked that she listened to me."

"And what was all that talk of burlesque? Have I been trying to get you to go to the wrong types of clubs?"

"Code. We came up with it years ago for when she had to vanish, it corresponds with what research she has. Red is top secret, black is nothing important and green is about me. The garter reference is due to her preference of carrying a knife around with her strapped to her leg, were you would place a garter. Blood red diamond means did she have to kill and clear means she did not, the tips in her bra was her way of saying that she managed to get work on the run so that she wasn't starving."

"And did you have a code?"

"Yes, and no I was not a male stripper." Bruce went back to stirring the pot, glancing up as he saw Tony trying to figure out what his code would have been. Finally after five minutes of Tony just staring at him he let out a sigh and explained. "My code was myself being a tour guide. When she rang up she used to ask questions about specific locations to get information out of me. Alaska meant that no one was on my trail, cheap tickets meant that I was having to move very soon, expensive packages meant that I was staying still in the one place, and Hawaii being a must see location meant that I had been found out and was moving to a safe location once more."

"And they never caught on?"

"How would they? If anyone over heard the conversation it would be a travel agent in the field working to get the person a perfect honeymoon or it would be a young woman telling a friend her new work outfit."

"That is bloody brilliant!"

"I didn't stay under the radar for so long without learning a few things. You know it wasn't all dumb luck, though it seemed that SHIELD always knew where I was." Bruce stabbed at the rice with the wooden spoon in annoyance, before going back to stirring it so it wouldn't stick to the bottom of the pot. "I am guessing she is staying in Miami?"

"No, I am bringing her here. It would be safest to have her in the tower, that way if SHIELD gets wind and decides to try and get her, well we'll be able to protect her more then if she was in Miami alone." Tony frowned as Bruce squared his shoulders and nodded, he knew that look and it normally did not mean good things. "Bruce, you'll be fine. Hell, you've spoken to her for seven years! You think meeting her face to face is going to be awkward and weird?"

"She won't be safe near me." Bruce whispered, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply a few times to relax his heart beat, which had started to spike in fear. "She knows to much, she kno-"

"Which means she won't be dumb enough to use them against you, Bruce. She might even be able to help you now that she's with you in person. God, anyone would think you were going on a first date with your high school crush! Get it together big guy, and your rice is boiling over."

"Shit!"

* * *

Clint watched as Tex paced back and forth in the jet, sometimes reminding him of a caged tiger, he could tell as soon as they got on the plane that she was not used to being in such a small, confined space for so long, after three hours she had started to pace and had kept it up ever since.

"What language are you speaking?" Clint asked, watching as she stopped and stared at him, a small blush on her cheeks. "It sounds lovely, but I just can't place it."

"It's Elvish, when I was younger I learnt it so I could write in my diary without my mum reading what I wrote. And it's just stuck with me, before you ask no that wasn't the language I was speaking on the phone to Bruce, that was Gaelic." Tex said, running her hands through her hair and messing it up, before going back to pacing, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"How many languages do you speak?"

"Indonesian, Elvish, Gaelic, English and a tiny, tiny bit of Thai, only enough so that when Bruce spurts off in it in his emails I can translate it, or use Google translator. Though he promised to give me lessons once, that never happened." Tex gave a small laugh and moved to sit across from Clint, pulling her hair up in to a pony tail so that it wouldn't annoy her any more.

"Where did you meet him?"

"On a science chat board, nearly eight years ago. I was complaining that my professor got an equation wrong and then refused to fix it up even after I pointed it out to him, I ended up getting in to shit about It. Bruce said that I was right and even explained how my professor managed to screw up. I got so angry at some random noob coming on to the board to show how smart he was, he messaged me with a picture of himself holding up a piece of paper saying 'Hi Tex.' I nearly died! I mean, there was Dr Bruce Banner and I had called him a noob! After that we spoke nearly every day, then the accident happened..."

"Why did he keep talking to you?"

"I wouldn't let him stop talking to me. I emailed him and kept up the normal conversations we used to have, he soon started to ask me questions and my opinion on things. I don't know, I still don't know why he trusted a girl that called him a noob."

"Maybe because you knew what you were talking about, and didn't want to sell his secrets to anyone."

"Yet here I am being delivered to SHIELD on his request."

"I'm not taking you to SHIELD, I'm taking you to Stark Towers, it's where we are all living. No doubt they will find out that we have you, but I don't see Fury trying anything to get you." Clint laughed softly and relaxed back in his seat. "Oh, by the way..." He sat up and dug around in his bag, before throwing her a chocolate bar. "Happy Valentines Day."

Tex let out a small laugh and happily unwrapped the bar, looking out the window down to the ocean with a sad sigh, resting her forehead against the glass she closed her eyes. "Happy Valentines Day." She whispered, taking a bite of the bar and falling silent.

* * *

"Sir, Agent Barton has left Australia... And the Stark Jet has put in a flight plan from Essendon to Miami..." Maria said, placing the file on Director Fury's desk. "They have her, they seem to be taking her back to either Tony's house in Miami or actually taking her to Stark Towers..."

"Have agents meet the plane at the airport. I want her in custody the moment she steps foot on the ground! I don't even want a chance for her to escape, though now she's in a different country, no doubt she is not as good as Dr Banner is when it comes to being able to adjust."

"Yes sir, I will have them placed there this instant, is there anything else?"

"Make sure they are armed, I want her taken no matter what." Director Fury said, turning to face the window, his back now to Maria. "We need her information if we are ever to contain the beast."

"Yes sir."

* * *

"Ever gone parachuting before?" Clint asked, helping Tex strap in to the suit with a small smile. "I mean, this is going to be just like that... But with no parachute and you'll be caught by Tony as you fall out of the plane, and if he misses... Well... When you hit water from this high it's like hitting concrete."

"Yes I know, thank you Agent Barton." Tex said, pulling her hair in to a bun before placing the backpack on her back and strapping it on, her dog toy would be going with Clint, as there was no way she could take it with her and still be caught safely.

"You know you are insane, right? I mean, how do you know he's going to catch you?"

"I trust Bruce. And he seems to trust Stark, and any way... I've tried to die before, Agent Barton, it does not scare me. I am actually more scared of getting a broken rib from being caught."

"_In position, let her jump!" _Tony's voice rang through the plane as if he was standing at the cock pit and offering them a drink, instead of telling Tex to take a leap from a plane with no safety gear or parachute and hope to god he caught her.

"On my way, Stark. If you don't catch me, I will haunt you every time you try and have sex..." Tex said, smiling when she heard Tony chuckle.

"_Roger that."_

"Oh god, he's spent to much time with Steve again..." Clint mumbled, rubbing his hand over his face and stepping away from the door as Tex pulled it open, clinging to the side of the Jet for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. "Good luck." He whispered, watching as she gave him a thumbs up and tumbled out of the plane.

Time seemed to stop as he shut the door and the jet started to pick up speed once more, sitting down before he fell down due to nerves he chewed on his finger nail, praying to a god that he had long turned his back on, he waited.

"_Got her, light as a feather! Though I think she may have a broken rib..."_

Clint had never been so happy to hear Tony's voice then he was at that moment.


	9. Chapter 9

"I do believe I broke your rib..."

"Yes, well when I get better I'll be randomly throwing objects at you until you learn to catch!"

"It's not my fault, I wasn't expecting the bag to be so heavy, what is in it?"

Tex ignored Tony's question and kicked the bag a little further under the medical table, before using the scissors to cut her shirt off, watching as the bruising came in to view. She pouted slightly as she realised with a small prod and a loud curse of pain that he had broken her last rib on her left side. "Do you know how to bandage some ones chest for a broken rib?" She asked, looking at him whilst she ignored her pain and started to dig around the cupboards for what she needed using her right arm, her left arm was gently holding her broken rib.

"You know we have a doctor here..." Tony said, watching as Tex rolled her eyes. "Look, I know meeting your... what ever the hell he is, shirtless is not ideal, but to bad. JARVIS send Bruce here now, tell him Tex has an injury."

Tex frowned as she looked around to see who Tony was talking to, before raising an eyebrow when a voice replied with a 'yes, sir'. "AI? Tell me, is it completely hooked up through out your house, controlling everything and monitoring everything?" She asked, moving to sit on the bed and waiting for Bruce, knowing if she tried to do anything he would murder her.

"Yep!" Tony said, happily popping the 'p' and grinning like a child showing off a bug he found in the garden. "JARVIS is my little baby, he runs the whole house... I like machines, they make me feel safe. At least they don't try and steal your secrets like humans do."

"And they aren't classified as slaves just yet."

"Touché, touché. I can see why Bruce likes you."

Tex didn't bother responding to him because the door had slid open to show a very annoyed looking Dr Banner, his medical bag in one hand as the other racked through his hair. "Tony you need to stay." He said, without even looking at Tex. He could feel the awkwardness between them, not knowing how to act around one another now they were physically in the same room.

"What is your injury?" Bruce asked, moving to stand in front of Tex and pulling a stethoscope from his bag, a small blush on his cheeks as he realised she was shirtless, and she really _did _have the symbol for gamma radiation tattooed above her right breast.

"Told you I had the tattoo, drunken nights at uni with a friend who has a tattoo gun, gotta love em!" Tex said, moving her legs so that Bruce could stand between them to get to her ribs. "Broken rib, Iron Man over here needs to learn to catch something before deciding he can do it."

"You could have warned me that... Woah, nice ink..." Tony let his eyes wander over the ink, before quickly looking away after Bruce glared at him. "Fine, I'm sorry, now what the hell do we do with a broken rib?"

"Simple, we bandage it to keep it stable..." Bruce said as his fingers seemed to dance over Tex's sink, but Tony knew that he was prodding to make sure that the rib was not badly broken and a danger to Tex. "And she doesn't do anything stupid, like jumping out of a plane! Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, staring up in to her blue eyes.

"Well you see, I was going to let you know, after sending you a three page report on how I survived, even though I wanted to die." Tex said, her eyes showing her hurt for a second before it vanished. Tony awkwardly moved his weight from one foot to the other, knowing that he was interrupting a private moment, but not knowing how to react.

"What did you want me to do! Not tell you at all? I got low, ok? It wasn't like I had any one to talk to about it!"

"For gods sake, Bruce! You had me!" Tex batted his hand away from her ribs and gently cupped his face between her hands, ghosting her thumb across his cheek affectionately. "You have me, Bruce. If it was getting that bad, you should have said something... I would have come to you, I would have been there when the nightmares got to bad... You didn't need to send me a report on how he spat the bullet out."

"I thought it would be useful, that you could use it in your research, that you could find out why it happened..."

"Because the other guy isn't a dick head like you?"

"Says the woman who did _this_!" Bruce grabbed on to her wrists, his fingers pressing in to the scars from where she had tried to take her life, her skin was warm under his touch, and he quickly blushed and pulled away when he remembered that Tony was in the room. Glancing at Tony, who was playing with his phone, he moved to gather some bandages. "Tony I need you to help her stand, believe me, this is going to hurt."

Tony moved to help Tex stand up, still not knowing what to say after witnessing such a moment between them. Finally he decided on silence as he positioned Tex in a way that Bruce could bandage her up, his heart breaking as he saw the strength in the woman before him, for she did not even utter one cry, even though her eyes shone with pain.

* * *

"Sir..." Maria said, before Director Fury pushed past her on his way to the Quinjet pad. "Ah, you heard..." She mumbled, quickly following behind him. "He had the right paper work!"

"Given to him by Stark! This has gone on for long enough, Stark needs to be dealt with, and I need that woman!" Director Fury's voice was level and calm, but Maria knew the anger that he was suppressing was about to be released on Stark if he made the wrong move. "Seven years, nearly eight years of research she has on him! And they can't see why we want that? Why we need that? If there was a chance of a cure in that research that they may have missed, I am sure Dr Banner would jump at the chance."

"Sir I am sure if there was a cure they would have already found it!"

"You're in charge whilst I am gone, Hill. And send Barton to Antarctica to gather the files they found for us, he needs some time to think and remember who he works for."

"Yes sir."

* * *

"So why do they want you so much?" Steve asked, staring down at the young woman as she looked around the apartment area, a small frown on her face as she listened to the sounds of New York, he could tell that she did not like it one bit.

"They don't want me, they want my research." Tex replied, motioning to the bag on her back before making her way slowly to the window. "Is it always this noisy?"

"Yeah, welcome to New York..." Steve shoved his hands in his pockets and continued to watch her. "So why isn't Dr Banner showing you around?"

"He doesn't want me here, at the moment I believe he and Tony are getting in to a huge argument over why I was brought here instead of Miami... Either way I'm still here I guess." She turned and smiled at Steve. "Do you have a lab here that I can set up in?"

"Yeah, follow me."

Ten minutes later and Tex had relaxed considerably, the noise of New York was drowned out by the strong walls around the lab, and the music that was blaring from the speakers that she had hooked her iPod up to. Her research had been spread out on the table waiting for her to put it back in order, as she had just shoved it all in her bag without caring if it got messed up when she left her house. Three expandable memory drives stood in the middle of the table, each one containing more research and one contained her private photos, work and a few other things that had nothing to do with Dr Banner. Pulling out her lap top she quickly got to work, ignoring the more fancy computers around her as she started to date and reorder her research, ready to hand it over to Dr Banner when ever he wished to see it.

"Bruce, I think I opened the wound... Hello..." Darcy stopped in the doorway and stared at the woman now invading Dr Banner's space. "Erm... Have you seen Dr Banner? Or are _you _Dr Banner, but now you've zapped yourself female? Oh my god that would be awesome, are you still attracted to girls or are you now going to fulfil all fan girls fantasies? Wait, do you even have a sex drive? Tony says you don't... You're not female Dr Banner, are you?"

Tex stared at Darcy as if she was mad, before laughing and shaking her head. "No, not a female Dr Banner, and I do believe he has a sex drive, but I am not sure, I've never asked..." _That's a lie, you did a study on it to see if he would change during sex... _"What wound have you opened up? I might be able to help you." She motioned for Darcy to come in and smiled at her warmly. "I'm Tex. The girl who SHIELD is trying to kidnap..."

"And they are the folders on Dr Banner?" Darcy asked, suddenly ignoring the bleeding wound on her arm and walking over to them, only to be stopped by a gentle touch by Tex, it may have been gentle, but it was filled with a warning of pain if she touched them. "I um... Cut myself the other day, and it keeps opening up." She quickly showed Tex her arm as she moved away from the folders.

"Sticky stitches, they won't hold the..." Tex started to say, but stopped when Bruce walked in to the room. "I'm sure Dr Banner knows what he is doing, and I am sure he'll be happy to patch up your..."

"Wound, no I didn't think they would, but Darcy here doesn't like needles..." Bruce said, walking in to the room and glancing at Tex. "What would you suggest, instead of butterfly stitches?" He watched as Tex sent him a look before glancing down at the wound on Darcy's arm once more, frowning as she chewed on the end of her pen before replying in a soft voice.

"Suck it up or else that wound is never going to heal."

"And that's why you are not a doctor." Bruce said, laughing softly as Tex rolled her eyes and went back to fiddling with the files. "But she is right, this wound needs stitches, like I told you the other day when you did it..." He stopped talking when Tex gently bumped him out of the way and looked down at Darcy's wound, frowning as she thought.

"Glue it, Bruce." She looked up in to the doctor's brown eyes, watching as he raised an eyebrow in question at her. "It's not to deep and glueing it should work if you also place a butterfly stitch over it and she doesn't do anything to strenuous with her arm. I know you are against glueing, but I hate seeing the look of pure terror on peoples faces when they need to get stitches. If you don't want to do it, I'll do it."

"I am perfectly capable of glueing her arm, Dianne."

Darcy looked between the two of them, almost feeling like she was drowning in sexual tension and unresolved issues. Clearing her throat slightly to get the attention back on her and the fact she was dripping blood on to her jeans, she gave them a smile. "I like the glueing option." She said, watching as Dr Banner glanced at a smirking Tex before nodding his head. "I'll see you in the medical room." She gently pried her arm from Tex's grasp and hurried out of the room, bumping in to Tony on her way up to the medical room.

"Don't go in there unless you have scuba gear, the sexual tension in there is _intense_!" She said, making Tony chuckle before turning and walking back the way he came, not even bothering to ask if she needed a hand.


	10. Chapter 10

"What the hell was that about, Dianne?" Bruce snapped, glaring at Tex as she shrugged her shoulders and flicked her hair from her face. "Don't you shrug at me, I don't want you here! Tony said you would be at Miami, I am not safe to be arou-"

"Don't you give me that shit or else I will slap you!" Tex said, spinning around and matching his glare, her arms at her sides because it hurt to much to cross them. "Look on the table, Bruce. Look at it all, every single bit of research, analysis's from tapes, photos and witness reports. This is the other guy..." She touched the folder closest to her. "Right here in these pages, and they want that, Bruce. And I can't let them have it! I'd rather die then hand it over to them. They are treating you like a lab rat, giving you an exercise wheel and then thinking you'll let them do what ever they like!"

"And what do you suggest?" Bruce asked, gently touching her shoulder in an awkward way. "The same thing you always suggest? Coming to Australia to live on a farm with you? Safe away from hurting anyone whilst my mind rots away from boredom."

Tex took his hand in hers, squeezing his fingers gently as she let out a sad sigh, shaking her head before looking up at him. "It is a suggestion, Bruce. For they are all we have at the moment. You're part of this team now, they are your family and they will protect you. I'll hand the research to you guys and then go back to Australia."

"And then what?"

"I buy another pair of Hulk slippers and go back to working as a Burlesque dancer."

"Mr Banner, Miss Grey, I am sorry to tell you, but Nick Fury has just arrived. I would say that you had five minutes to pack up and hide before he finds you." JARVIS's voice broke up their laughter instantly.

"Twenty minutes, your jets are getting slow..." Tex said as she started to shove the research back in to her bag, making sure not to leave any part of it behind. "Bruce go, I'll be fine. Just go. Happy brought my bags back, they should be in your room..." She took the key that he pressed in to her hand.

"And the research...?"

"I'll hand it to Fury on my way out, just trust me and go!" She shoved him towards the door, pausing when he spun around and pressed his lips in to hers in a chaste kiss. Before she had a chance to respond he had already left the room, needing another two seconds to gain her focus once more, she quickly hurried to Bruce's room, JARVIS lighting up the way by flashing the light bulb once just ahead of her.

* * *

Tony watched as Director Fury walked in to the room, before turning to Pepper and smirking. "This one is on you as well." He stated, laughing when she rolled her eyes as he stood up and smiled at Director Fury. "Director, isn't it a lovely time for a trip out to New York?" He watched as the Director's hands twitched in anger, but his face remained passive.

Quietly Bruce made his way out in to the lounge, followed by Steve and Natasha, who moved around the room to watch the 'showdown' between Tony and Director Fury. "You know, I should have sold tickets to this..." Tony said, frowning slightly. "Pepper, remind me next time to sell tickets."

"I'm not here to joke, Stark! I'm here for the girl, and also to return these to you." Director Fury flicked the papers at Tony's feet. "Impersonating SHIELD officials can get you locked up for a long time, Tony. So let's not make it a habit."

"And yet you are allowed to kidnap... Of course I forgot, it's all in the way of keeping the planet safe. Like the weapons, by the way, how are they going without the Tesseract?" Tony knew he had hit a sore spot when Director Fury glared at him, he fought the urge to step back in fear and stayed in his spot. "Hmm, seems to be a sore subject..."

"Where is the girl, Tony?"

"The girl..."

"Is right here." Tex said, moving in to the lounge room. She had changed out of her wrinkled travel clothes and instead wore a pair of black jeans (that Tony knew just from looking at them would hug her ass nicely) and a red singlet, the gamma radiation tattoo just visible, as well as the dragon tattoo that curved around her neck, it's head resting on her left shoulder. A knife was strapped to her thigh and there was a blade strapped to the underside of her right arm, but Tony knew they would be useless with her broken rib. The only indication that she was in pain was the slight sheen of sweat on her forehead from the pain.

"Dianne Grey at your service." Tex made a mock bow and stood up straight, staring straight at Director Fury. "Otherwise known as Tex, now give me one good reason why you have been hunting me like an animal for three months, before I do something stupid."

"And what would this stupid thing be...?" Director Fury asked, before glancing between a smirking Tex and Bruce, who was rolling down his sleeves in slight annoyance at yet another top about to be destroyed. "You wouldn't dare!"

"No, I wouldn't... But you see he would, he's slightly over protective of me. Really sweet and makes me all warm and fuzzy inside and kinda brings down the urge to murder you at the thought of him being all protective and kick ass. But I don't want to see him hurting after the transformation, it breaks my heart." She paused as she moved towards Director Fury, slightly limping from the pain. "Yet you want to make more of him..."

"No! We want to find a cure! We want to be able to contain the beast..."

"I AM NOT A BEAST!" Bruce yelled, glaring at the Director as Steve moved closer to him, ready to take on Hulk if he ended up joining the fight.

"Steve don't bother." Tex said, holding up her hand to halt Steve's movements. "He won't change."

"And how do you know?" Bruce bit out, glaring at her, angry at the way that she was so cool and collected in this situation whilst he was on breaking point. "How can you be so god damn sure?"

"Because he wants answers as well. Answers that he will not get if he destroys this building... Plus he won't hurt me, I brought Hulk Slippers!" Tex said, knowing that her words were not backed up by science, and that Bruce could change at any time, but she was hoping they would have a placebo effect on him, make him believe he won't change and keep his heart rate and emotions down.

"Why do you want the folders, Director Fury?" She asked, turning back to look at the older man who was still glaring at her, but to nervous of Hulk to move any closer.

"To understand what happened, to understand the... the other guy more so that in a case of another break out, we can contain him..."

"Bruce, you've told them everything you know?"

"Yes!" Bruce said, his voice taking on a slight desperate tone. "I've told them everything, there is nothing you know that they don't!"

"So they pulled me from going to Hawaii to ask questions that they already know?"

Bruce couldn't help but feel proud as he realised what Tex was doing, he glanced at Tony and saw the smirk flicker across his face before he replaced it with his normal expression. "Yes, they pulled you from your trip, even more so when the tickets are so cheap. And I don't think they'll reimburse you either."

"Oh well, we can always go to Vegas and see a burlesque show, I've always loved blood red garters. I need another one, maybe I'll even let you see it..."

"Stop it! Just give me the research and you will be able to go home, Miss Grey. I know how much you hate the cities..." Director Fury said, watching as Tex raising an eyebrow and glanced at Bruce, who shook his head slightly.

"You know, I always thought Bruce would be more a plain garter kind of guy..." Tony said, not wanting blood to be spilt on his carpet, it was hard enough stopping Natasha from killing the pizza guy when he arrived late, he didn't want to have to stop Tex as well. "Then again, he always has had a thing for black."

"Please, Miss Grey. I just want the research, Tony has a way of making things so much more harder then what they needed to be..."

"Fine. Darling, give him the research." Bruce said, finally clicking on to what Tony had said. "Then he'll leave us alone to enjoy our honeymoon."

_HE HAD TO GO WITH **THAT **LIE? _Tex thought, flinching mentally as she thought of a million ways to kill him whilst giving him the most pain. "Of course darling, I just wish he would start using my proper name." She flicked her hair from her face and smiled at Director Fury. "I'm Mrs Banner, not Miss Grey! We married three years ago, it would be nice to finally get a honeymoon."

She smiled as she let her hands trail flirtatiously over Bruce's skin as she walked past him on her way to his room, leaving the stunned Avengers and Director Fury behind. Quickly going through her bag she brought out the fake files that she had brought, knowing that they held the research that Bruce had told SHIELD. Praying to Odin that they would work to buy them some time to escape, she waked back out to the others and placed the folders in Director Fury's hands.

"That's all the research, every last bit." She said, giggling softly as Bruce gently cupped her arm and pulled her back to him, nuzzling her hair. "Now can we please get back to our honeymoon?" She let out a breathy laugh as Bruce brushed his lips over her pulse point, smirking softly as Director Fury quickly turned his back on them to stare at Tony.

"You will be punished for this, Stark. This could have been a lot easier on everyone if you didn't have to get involved."

"Of course, but what is the fun in that?" Tony asked, smirking as he moved next to Director Fury. "Let me walk you out, those two will be busy for a while, and the walls are not that thick." He laughed softly as he entered the lift with the director, knowing full well that Bruce was about to get his ass kicked by Tex.

* * *

**Thank you guys so much for all the love and the reviews. :D I thought I'd post this one up today instead of tomorrow as a thank you, this is the last of my pre-written chapters so it might take me a little bit longer to start posting them again, or I might get creative and just churn out chapter after chapter, which I have been known to do.**

**Thanks again for all the love and reviews!  
**

**Jabberwocky  
**


	11. Chapter 11

It took only two seconds after the lift doors had closed for Tex to pull away from Bruce and spin around to face him, a murderous look on her face. "Married?" She asked, her voice slightly higher then normal out of complete and utter shock and annoyance. "Out of all the half cooked up lies in your head, **that **was the one you went with! I'm so glad that if we are ever in a need for a lie, the nearest girl will become your wife!" She threw up her right arm in annoyance and huffed.

"So... you two aren't married?" Steve asked, flinching as both of them spun around to glare at him. "Fine, sorry! Just... This is all confusing..."

"Let me explain it to you. Bruce and I are not married, we will not be _getting _married and I am about three seconds from stabbing Tony if he comes out of that lift and makes _one _joke about it!" Tex said, fingering the blade on her hip.

"It was the first thing that came to my head!" Bruce replied, moving away from her and putting the kettle on, if there was any time for Green Tea, now would be it! God he swore he could become the green tea companies sole buyer the way he went through it when he got to stressed.

"So!" Tony said, walking out from the lift. "Director Fury is gone, I am to report to desk duty tomorrow for a week but he brought the research you gave him." He clapped his hands and grinned happily. "Now, shall the happy couple want their own rooms or se-" He cut himself off as Tex flicked her knife at him, it missed him by inches and embedded itself in the wall behind him. "Separate it is then..."

"Drink this!" Bruce said, shoving a cup of steaming tea in to Tex's hands. "It will help relax you before you murder anyone." He added, ignoring the look she gave him, the look that said 'If anyone will die, it's you!' before moving back over to the bench to gather his own tea in to his hands.

"Thank you, _darling_." Tex said, her voice seething as she took a sip of the tea. _Ok, ok... This is really actually quite good... _She thought, before limping over to the couch and sinking down in to it with a moan of pain. She was tired, her body hurt and she knew that they would probably only get two hours max before Fury realised that the information was everything Bruce sent him and nothing new, which meant she had to be on the move again very soon.

She frowned as her eyelids felt heavy and her body felt like it was made with lead, instantly her mind realised what Bruce had done, making her throw the now empty cup away, watching as it smashed on the floor. "You bastard!" She hissed, forcing herself to stand and taking the knife from her arm. "You complete..." She stumbled in to his arms, before he took the knife from her hand and passed it to Natasha. "I fucking hate you." She mumbled, before passing out.

"What the hell did you do?" Tony asked, staring at Bruce like he had gone mad. "Because she wasn't going to kill you in the first place!"

"She needed to rest, her rib will get worse if she keeps running. And she's not going to slow down until someone forces her to..." Bruce said, scooping her up in to his arms and holding her to his chest. "I know her, Tony, more then any of you. She won't be mad at me, her pride will be hurt, that is all. But sometimes she forgets that people can actually care for her, she's been on the run to long"

As Bruce walked towards the elevator, he flinched as he heard Tony's reply. "So have you, Bruce."

Choosing to ignore it, he took Tex to his room and laid her on the bed, not putting the covers on her because he knew she hated it. She was so much like him when it came to quirks, she did not sleep with the covers on nor did she sleep in anything other then clothing, in case she needed to escape in the middle of the night. Her back was never to any door or window and she always scoped out the exits in a room before settling down and pain was ignored until she was deep in the bush, hidden from those hunting her.

But now she was in New York, a whole different world to what she was used to, and Bruce didn't know what to do about that. Half of him wanted to send her away again, keep her hidden in Australia, hidden from The Other Guy and safe. But now SHIELD had dragged her in to this part of the world, _his _part of the world in their psychotic belief that he could be cured, or The Other Guy could be murdered if he chose not to work with them.

Moving away from her he picked up her backpack as he moved to his desk, sitting down he started to read through the files, each one more depressing then the first as the relisation sunk in even more that there was no cure. He got to a paper that was scribbled in Elvish, the only English part was the title, which was written in bold lettering 'CHANGE TRIGGERS!'

He growled in pure frustration as he realised that there was no way in hell he could translate everything in the three pages, and that he would have to wait until she woke up in a few hours once the drugs wore off. Instead he packed up her bag once more and with a finale glance to make sure she was still asleep and not aiming a hidden knife on him, walked out of the room to find Tony.

* * *

It was a blast of warm air that brought Tex out of her slumber, instantly she was back on high alert, her mind taking a few minutes to realise where she was and that she was safe. Groaning as she held on to her left side, the pain killers she took had warn off, she looked around Bruce's room.

It was just how she would imagine his room to be, the wardrobe stood open and empty, a suitcase on the floor was opened to reveal where he kept his clothing, the desk was cluttered with books, notes and scribbles upon post-it-notes were stuck to the wall in random places. The bed was one of the most comfiest beds she had ever slept on, probably courtesy of Tony's money, though the scent that lingered on the pillows was Bruce's.

Looking around, she found a glass of water, two tablets, a note and a ring sitting on the bedside table. Picking up the note, she read it through three times before the words sunk in properly, and the urge to scream had vanished enough she could actually act on it.

_Tex,_

_Fury is a bastard when it comes to checking things out, so I did a little tampering. You are now Dianne Cosette (Nice middle name by the way! 1900S literature, what a read!) Banner. You were married to Bruce three years ago in a small ceremony in Thailand, just you two and a friend. The ring on the table is fitted with a GPS tracking system as well as a panic button hidden under the diamond, press it twice and someone will come save you._

_Bruce and you are planning on having another ceremony here in New York to marry again surrounded by friends and family (IE; us) and you will be spending time with Darcy, Jane and Natasha to find your wedding dress. And you and Bruce will also be going out to scout at cool places to be married again._

_(This will explain you and Bruce vanishing off the chart to do more tests if need be)_

_At the moment I am on my way to Miami to meet up with some people to talk about a new venture that the business is heading in to, so you can not kill me. Bruce is in the lab, have fun killing him._

_Tony._

_PS: anything you need, just ask JARVIS. But what ever you do DO NOT ask for more foam in your coffee, just trust me on that one._

_PPS: The tablets are pain killers. Scouts honour._

Tex frowned as she read the first PS, trying to figure out what the heck happened if you asked for more foam. Reaching over she dry swallowed the pills before taking a sip of water, placing the glass back on the table she grabbed the ring and shoved it on her ring finger, not even glancing at it.

It took ten minutes for the pain killers to kick in enough that she could get out of the bed and move around, another five minutes on top of that had her walking down to the lab like there was nothing wrong. Though the way the sun glinted off the band of the wedding ring that was settled on her finger was enough to make her flinch and her 'urge to murder' rise up twenty spots.

"Tex!" Darcy cried, moving to her and grabbing her arm. "It's on backwards." She added when Tex raised an eyebrow at what the woman was doing. "Your ring is meant to go the other way... See? It's in the shape of a strand of DNA." She pulled the ring of Tex's finger and fixed it up, slowly pushing the metal back up in to place. "Tony thought it would be cute."

"Yes... It's... Charming." Tex said, not knowing what Darcy knew or didn't know about how the 'marriage' had happened.

"I think it's so sweet for Tony to be helping Bruce out with this! I mean, every girl wants a fairy tale wedding! Well not me, but i'm sure you do! And I mean, a small ceremony with only one friend in a run down church is no way to get married! Oh I can't wait to start picking out dresses, what's your style? Rocker chick? Peppy? Traditional ball gown? Mermaid? Ooh, ooh! Strapless gown that will leave Bruce wanting to ravish you on the alter?"

"DARCY!"

"What? Don't tell me you don't want to see that man cut loose a little!"

Tex flexed her fingers at her sides, trying to rid herself of the mental image of Bruce ravishing her _anywhere. _"I don't know what type of dress I want, I'll probably just wear nice slacks and shirt..." She started to say, but stopped herself when Darcy looked like she had just been slapped. Tex let out sigh of annoyance before giving Darcy a small smile. "I'm sure I'll find something in a bridal book or something..."

"I have some in my room, Jane and I were looking at them out of pure boredom the other day!"

Before Tex could say anything, Darcy had run off to her room with a promise to bring the books to show Tex. "JARVIS, send the video of what just happened down to Bruce, use monitor A, that's the one he normally works on I believe from the neatness of the desk around it. Also give him the message that he's a dead man walking."

"Yes Mrs Banner." JARVIS replied, making Tex grind her teeth as she moved to sit on the couch, waiting for Darcy to return with the bridal books.

"Mr Banner wished for me to tell you that he has only one wish in his death." JARVIS said, waiting for Tex to answer before he continued. "That you wear a dress to your upcoming wedding."


	12. Chapter 12

An hour and a half later had Tex and Darcy laughing hysterically at the obviously posed and fake weddings in each of the magazines. "Oh my god!" Tex said, grabbing her left side when it started to hurt to much from her laughter. "If my wedding ever looks like that, I'd shoot myself!" She pointed to an over the top elaborate wedding, including the cake being topped by edible, gold leaf.

"Well, there goes that idea..." Darcy said, making Tex double over in pain and laughter once more. It had come as a surprise to Tex that Darcy was such a romantic, and that Darcy was also with Iceman when she accidentally let slip 'I wouldn't mind something like this for Bobby and I." Though the conversation quickly moved on from that subject by Tex, who saw the look of utter horror on Darcy's face that she had messed up.

"I don't think I'm going to find anything that I like in these magazines." Tex said finally, shoving the magazines on the floor, much to JARVIS's annoyance, who thought the house would finally stay clean now that Tony had left. "Anyway, we've got to try and figure out what Br-"

"OH MY GOD YOU ARE SO RIGHT!" Darcy yelled, forgetting that Tex had a broken rib and dragging the other woman down to the lab. "BRUCIE!" She yelled, making Tex flinch at the nickname.

"Really Darcy?" Tex asked, raising an eyebrow as Darcy laughed.

"He told me not to sneak up on him, so now I announce my presence!"

"Touché!"

"What, Darcy?" Bruce asked, moving around the table and placing a few pieces of equipment on it. "As you can see I am really busy." He was back to ignoring Tex once more, wanting to push her as far away from him as he could. He was no good for her, he couldn't give her anything she wanted (Even though they both wanted the same things).

"I was wondering what type of wedding you want!" Darcy said, sitting down on one of the seats and grinning at him. "Tex doesn't know, so I thought we would ask the groom-to-be." Tex crossed her fingers behind her back in silent prayer that Tony had told Bruce what Darcy knew, thankfully it seemed he had.

"Well, I don't know, but I believe Tex and I shall discuss it later on." Bruce said in a tone of voice that instantly let Darcy know the subject matter was closed to further discussions. "Now if you don't mind, can you leave Dianne and I alone to discuss some things? I don't want you to get any radiation poisoning."

"Is that what the science kids are calling it now? Radiation poisoning? Nice!"

Before either Tex or Bruce could murder her, she had left the room and shut the door behind her cheekily. "I'm going to kill her! Are you sure she's not Tony's daughter?" Tex asked, moving to look at what Bruce was doing. "No! No way in hell am I letting you do that!"

"What? I was just going to place a small bit of radiation on my blood to see what happens..." Bruce said, looking down at her with a sly smile. "Nothing more, Dianne." He moved beside her to gather a few more tools that he would need, ignoring Tex's small noise of protest.

"H-h-have the other guys seen you on a bad day...?" Tex asked, her voice slightly more meek then what it normally was. "Like... A proper bad day?" She noted that Bruce's back stiffened before he went back to his calm manner as he continued to set up the experiment on the table. _I guess that's a no... They think he's bad days is when he's in rage! _"JARVIS, lock the door and do not let _anyone _down here no matter what!" She whispered to the AI, knowing that she was probably going to get hurt.

"Mrs Banner, I do not think..." JARVIS tried to argue, but Tex cut him down instantly.

"Do it, JARVIS!"

"Yes, Mrs Banner."

Tex watched quietly as Bruce finished setting up and then started to roll his sleeve up, showing an arm filled with scars from random tests he had done to himself that he hid from the others. How much did SHIELD know about him? Clearly they didn't know about this part of him, the part that he reverted in to when he got to calm and was left on his own with nothing more to do.

The insane part.

"Let me do it." She said, pushing away from her spot and watching as Bruce stared at her, his eyes had a small glint of insanity and desperation in them, the same glint he had when he had created the Gamma Radiation bomb all those years ago. She took the needle from his hands and started to set up in order to take some blood samples, his cool and calm eyes unnerving as he watched her. "They've let you get to calm, to withdrawn... The insanity is coming back." She whispered, wiping his skin down with an alcohol swab.

"They don't know, do they?" She asked as the needle pierced in to his vein and the blood started to fill the vial. "You've hidden it from everyone apart from me? And I worked it out myself..." She removed the vial and started to fill a second one, Bruce's silence scaring her more then if he had shouted and hit her. "They think your bad days are when you turn in to the other guy? They don't know you, how well you have hidden under that disguise..." She finished filling the vial and took it away, ready to pull the needle out, but stopping at Bruce's voice.

"Another vial."

"Bruce two is..."

"I said another vial, Dianne!"

Tex sighed as she started to fill up the third vial quietly, she knew as soon as her real name was uttered from Bruce's lips he was to far gone to be talked out of it. She pondered quietly what the others would do if they ever found out, would they send him away? Would SHIELD kill him? The thought made her quiver in terror, she didn't want to live a life without him in it, but how long could he hide this side from them?

Most of her research had been centred not only on The Other Guy, but also on trying to keep Bruce in a balance that was safe for him and everyone around him. She feared this part of Bruce's psyche over The Other Guy because this part was cold and calculating, his genius mind coming up with things that Tex could only ever dream of. Putting the vial down on the table with the other two, she finally removed the needle, pressing a cotton ball to the small dribble of blood that had appeared on his arm.

_Perhaps if his heart rate started to race a little more he would come out of this psyche? But how do you get his heart racing without risking him forming in to The Other Guy? Emotional triggers from what I have gathered are Grief, Anger and Fear... Which means... Oh I can't believe I am doing this..._

Tex moved to straddle Bruce's lap, feeling his breath catch in his throat as he stared down at her, trying to work out her motivations. _Damn him for being smart! _She thought, knowing she would only have a short time before he caught on to what she was doing. "Tell me what you are doing..." She whispered, gently letting her hand run up from his stomach to rest over his heart, she did it in a possessive gesture, but also so that she could feel his heart rate, which was slowly starting to pick up from its calm and calculated beat.

"What do you hope to achieve with this?" She whispered, as she gently kissed his ear lobe. _Please forgive me! You need this! Your friends can't know! _She closed her eyes as she brushed her lips against his cheek, shivering as his fingers bit in to the skin of her hips, which had become exposed as he singlet rode up from her movements. "Do you think you can create another bomb? One more powerful then any the world has seen?"

It was his turn to shudder at her touch, as her lips brushed over his pulse point before her teeth dragged down the sensitive skin of his throat. _Pick up! God damn it heart beat pick up! I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS WITH HIM LIKE THIS! _Her thoughts were cut off when Bruce grabbed the back of her head and drew her face down to his, capturing her in a bruising kiss.

She felt his heart beat continuing to pick up away from the 'dangerous levels', all the time as he kissed her, her mind recorded the data of his heart beat to find out when he would go back to being his normal self. She moved her hips against his and heard him gasp in to the kiss, but still his heart beat stayed in the 'danger zone'. She didn't know what to do as their hips ground in to one another's and the kiss turned even more passionate, Bruce's fingers tangled in her hair and hers running down his back, but one hand always stayed on over his heart.

_Please forgive me! _She begged in her mind, before moving to whisper against his ear. "You're just like your father..." Instantly she was shoved to the ground, her head hitting the table on the way down and dazing her, but it had the desired effect. She could see Bruce hunching over the table, before he threw his hand out, tumbling the vials to the ground to smash, his blood seeping across the floor towards her. His breathing came out in rugged gasps as he fought with the anger that was building up inside him, his clam and calculated demeanour all but gone as he glared down at her.

She grunted as his boot connected to her uninjured side, tossing her down to land on her left side with a yell of pain, which instantly brought his anger down. "Oh my god, Tex!" He whispered, bending down and stroking her hair. "I'm so sorry! I'm so, so, so sorry!" He cradled her body against his, holding her tightly against his chest, his heart rate back to normal once more.

"Why haven't you told them...?" She asked, staring up in to his chocolate brown eyes which were filled with self hate and desperation.

"They can never know, Tex. They'll try and kill me again, they think I'm normal again... They can never know the truth, I don't want to die..."

The pain in Tex's body was to much as she felt her mind start to shut down in order to ignore it and get better. Her hair throbbed and so did both her sides, she swore she could feel her rib clicking every time she tried to breath, a bad sign. "Rib... Clicking..." She whispered, before passing out in his arms.

"I'll fix it. I promise."

* * *

In the lounge room, Steve and Natasha watched the screen with terror, never had they seen the doctor act like that before. "Is this what SHIELD wants to know about him?" Natasha asked, staring at Steve who shrugged his shoulders, his eyes still glued to the screen. "Is he really in control?"

"I don't think so, Natasha. I don't think he's ever been in control..." Steve said, his fists clenched at his side as he stared at his friend. "I think the doctor has more secrets then he will ever share with us..."

"But she knows, she knows his secrets... I can get her to talk, Steve. We need answers!"

"Wait till Tony gets back, and we'll show him the foota-"

"Footage has been deleted." JARVIS's voice rang out, making Natasha curse loudly in Russian.

"He covers his tracks..." Steve said, staring at the now blank screen.

* * *

**Ok guys!**

**For those of you who are not up to date with Bruce Banner's character from the comics, the most recent adaption is that he is criminally insane and the dominant personality is Hulk, he reverts back to Bruce Banner when he is to calm and left to his own. I decided to take this and play with it for this story, which means Bruce Banner now has two dangerous levels, when he is to calm and isolated he reverts back to his insane self (The same self that created the gamma radiation bomb in the first place) and if he gets an emotion trigger (The three I will use are: Fear for his life, grief and anger) he turns in to The Other Guy.  
**

**The sentence; You are just like your father. Comes from the fact that Bruce used to see his father beating his mother constantly when he was child. We will learn more as the story progresses.  
**

**I might have to put the rating up to M soon and also a warning in the summery for Dark!Bruce. Sorry if that causes any of your readers to feel uncomfortable and not want to read it anymore, but this is how the story is heading.  
**

**Jabberwocky.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Just a quick note before the chapter, I am sorry for mixing up words and getting grammar wrong and such. I find that really hard to deal with and grasp (Mild dyslexia is a pain in the butt!). So thank you for bearing with me over that little thing. I know it annoys heaps of people and I really am sorry about it.**

* * *

Tony stared at the footage on his remote tablet, honestly shocked that Bruce could do something like that. The copy of all of Tex's research that he had taken was in his lap and the science that was written on those pages coincided with what he had just witnessed, yet his mind still reeled from it.

_Insane genius when left alone and calm heart rate of: 40 beats per minute_

_Genius and recluse when around others and when heart rate sits at normal rate of: 80 beats per minute._

_Transformation occurs only under emotional triggers of Grief, Fear for his life and Anger._

_Transformations based on anger occur when the heart beat reaches over 170 beats per minute._

_Do not know what statistics have been given to SHIELD, will need to ask._

Tony read over the hand written note that he had copied from Tex's bag a few more times, before flipping through the paper work to try and find another page that would give him more information, he found the page, which was just two sticky notes photocopied and read the information as he chewed on his lower lip, trying to make sense of it.

_Insanity presents as:_

_Self testing_

_Weapons making_

_Nonsense scribbles of compounds and equations_

_Calm and collected yet quick to use violence_

_More fearsome then the other guy, needs to be pulled out of it as fast as possible!_

_Raised heart rate will achieve this, but may result in unforeseen consequences._

Tony scoffed as he read the last line, clearly being kicked across the floor came over as an 'unforeseen consequences'. He knew that Steve and Natasha were going to be pissed over the fact that the video had been deleted before they could show it to him, but he couldn't risk anyone else seeing it.

He prayed that they would keep it to themselves, just for awhile until they could figure something out. Maybe being part of The Avengers would help him stay out of it as he was constantly surrounded by people and with Tex at his side. He shoved everything back in to the briefcase and stared out at the night sky, the meeting had gone as planned and all he wanted was to crawl in to his bed and pass out with Pepper by his side.

Instead he was greeted with a load of paper work, courtesy of Nick Fury.

* * *

"I can't believe he won't get us separate rooms!" Bruce said, sighing as he watched Tex stretch out on the bed, her shirt riding up to show the bandage around her middle. "I mean, it's bad enough that we have to act like we are already married and having another wedding to keep Director Fury off our trails, and god knows when you'll be allowed home!"

"Would you stop complaining? I've already had to pull you out of one mood before you destroyed yourself." Tex said, moving her head to the side so she could see him properly. "Seriously, this is starting to get on my nerves now that I'm actually in your presence, instead of being able to switch the lap top off and ignore you when you got to bad."

"Wow... That makes me feel so loved." Bruce said sarcastically, turning his back to her as he went back to reading his book. "How is your rib feeling?"

"fine, but the boot print on my side hurts like a bitch. I am sorry for what I had to do today, it was the only thing I could think of." Tex moved to stand behind him, running her hands down his arms and resting her chin on his shoulder. "Come to bed, Bruce. I don't bite and we both need sleep."

"I can't... I can't trust myself around you." Bruce whispered, placing his hands over his face. "I'm sorry you got dragged in to this." He let one of his hands fall from his face and took her left hand in his, his finger brushing over the ring. "I can't give you anything you want, I'm radioactive and destructive."

Tex pressed a kiss in to his hair, holding his hand tightly in hers before pulling away. "You don't know what I want, Bruce." She said simply, before moving back to the bed and climbing in. "Get your ass in here before I invite Tony to cuddle." She smirked as she heard the small growl that escaped Bruce's lips before he could contain it.

Closing her eyes she counted the seconds it took for Bruce to finally give in and climb in to bed next to her (thirty three seconds). He didn't dare touch her as he rolled on to his side, his back to her as he shoved his hand under the pillow and tried to relax. "JARVIS turn the lights out please." He said, a small chuckle escaping his lips as Tex gasped in shock as the room was plunged in to darkness.

"JARVIS, can you make it look like there are stars on the roof?" Tex asked after a few moments, her voice soft and shy. She really did not have a clue how to talk to the AI system after she had heard him make a joke with Steve. Was he alive or was he really a computer?

"I am sorry Mrs Banner, but the lights in your room would not able me to do that. I could ask Tony to create some changes so that I could in the future project the stars for you..." JARVIS said, making Tex sigh softly.

"Never mind."

* * *

_He could hear the footsteps of his father coming towards the kitchen, each foot fall was counted by the young boy as they got closer and closer. He knew it was only ten steps from the lounge room in to the kitchen yet it felt like a millennium until his father knocked the door open and glared at his mother._

_The blows came before his mother could move, knocking her off her chair and on to the floor. The profanities and insults that filled the air made him place his hands over his ears, trying to drown out his mothers screams as he recited the periodic table, he dare not move from the table in fear that he would be next._

"_Please stop.." He whimpered, rocking back and forth in his chair. "Please stop hitting her..." He clenched his fists in his hair, pulling at the brown curls that looked so much like his fathers. "I don't want to turn in to you, please stop! I don't wanna be you..."_

"I DON'T WANT TO BE YOU!"

He shot up in bed, his breaths coming out in tortured gasps as his heart raced, his skin changing between green and his normal skin tone as he fought with the beast. He was safe, his father was gone and wouldn't hurt anyone any more. He flinched as he felt arms encircling him and a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"It was a dream, you're not him." Tex whispered, brushing her lips over his cheek, jaw and ear lobe as he slowly started to relax in to her grip. "You are nothing like him, you are amazing and caring and loving and you saved the world, Bruce! You bashed up Loki! Who else can say that they bashed him up?"

"That was the other guy!" Bruce growled, shivering as her hands ran up and down his arms, her lips brushing over his ear as she spoke.

"One in the same, Dr Jekyll. One in the same."

Slowly and carefully she pulled him back down so that he was lying down, his head gently cradled on her chest where he could hear her heart beat but didn't hurt her side. She played with his hair affectionately before chuckling, making him look up at her like she had gone mad.

"Look at us, Bruce. No wonder they believe we are together!"

With a sleepy chuckle Bruce settled back down against her, his eyes closing as he was lulled to sleep by her heart beat, even the beast in his mind seemed to settle down at the sound. "We should totally get a mutual pet!" Tex whispered sleepily, her eyes already closing once again.

"We have Tony, that's enough."


	14. Chapter 14

"Well it was so nice of you to tell me that you found her, then again from what I heard she walked in to your agents camp after smelling the leaves he was burning..." Director Ice flicked the grey hair from her eyes and smiled at Director Fury, trying not to smirk at the glare he sent to her.

"You know, Director Ice, the more I speak to you and see you, the more I realise just how much like the target you are. In looks and mannerisms..." Director Fury narrowed his eyes when the woman chuckled and once again flicked her hair out of her face. "If I find out that you are the one that leaked the information to her, I will report you."

"Go ahead Director Fury, I'll even happily let you _handcuff _me..." Director Ice smirked at the blush that was quickly hidden on Director Fury's face. "Then again, Director... You have the research you wanted, shall I expect her home in time for dinner?"

"No, you see Director Ice, this research is false. There is no way that eight years of research can be condensed in to one file, all of which we already have on the subject!" Director Fury threw the folder on to the table and glared up at the monitor. "Which I am sure you already know about, and by the way, did you know she was married?"

It was Director Ice's turn to quickly hide her shock, before the small smirk resumed its place on her face. "Of course I did, if your assumption is correct and we are related, do you not think she would tell me about something so important?"

"Apparently they are getting remarried later this year... A proper wedding and all that..."

"Well Director Fury..." Director Ice butted in, smiling as she lent forward in her chair. "I guess if your assumption is correct, we shall meet face to face at the wedding. Just remember to bring the handcuffs." She gave him a wink before logging off the chat before he could respond. _I am going to kill, Dianne!_

* * *

"We swear Tony, he attacked her and then the video was deleted. He knows how to cover his tracks, but I don't think we should trust him!" Steve said, staring at Tony with shaking fists. "He lies to much, even SHIELD is against him!"

"Enough Steve!" Tony said, standing up to his fully height and glaring up at the captain. "I trust Bruce, but we all have secrets! I know what happened because I was the one that deleted the footage, this does not leave this room understand? I mean it, there will be hell to pay if this gets out! They will kill him, and the blood will be on_ your_ hands!"

"Tony I agree with Steve, this doesn't seem to..." Natasha tried to say, but was silenced by a look from Tony. "I know this is your house, but I just think we need to talk to him, make sure that he is..."

"We will watch him, Natasha. But not a word of this will be mentioned!" Tony said in a tone of voice that demanded the subject be left alone. "I have research on how to stop him from falling in to it once again, and maybe with the wedding and everything that is happening it will work. I don't know, but please just try and trust me!"

"You have said that you are not a team player, Tony. What has changed?"

"I nearly died, Steve! I fell from the sky and saved the god damn Earth. My life isn't going to be around forever, and to be frank I need some good karma on my side if I am going to make it out in one piece!"

"In other words he's become your friend?"

"Just keep the video feed a secret, just watch him for now." Tony walked out of the room and let the door close behind him softly. _Yes, he is my friend. You all are, why do you have to make me say it out loud when it is so obvious?_

* * *

"This research is a dud, don't even try and pretend it isn't!" Director Fury said, staring down at Tex who had her arms crossed over her chest and her hip propped against the door. He was standing in the lounge room of Stark Tower with the other Avengers watching them (Clint had gotten back from Antarctica, pissed off and with a cold only an hour ago). "There is no way in hell that this is all you've learnt in seven years, because I know that's a lie."

He threw the folder on the floor, watching the pagers spill out towards her feet, yet she didn't flinch and her glare did not waver as she continued to stare at him. "So what?" She asked, pushing a curl of purple hair from her face. "What are you going to do? Torture me until I cave in and spill all my dirty secrets? There is nothing you can do to make me talk, and quite frankly you don't really want to risk if I have a cyanide tablet anywhere on my body by taking me in to custody."

"No, that won't be your punishment, Dianne." Director Fury said, pulling another folder out of his jacket and walking up to her, smirking softly when he heard Bruce's chair brush against the floor as the doctor stood up. "You've been an agent before, a good agent for under cover work. This mission needs someone like you, Natasha can not do it because she can't do something that is very important to this mission."

"And what's that? Speak with an Australian accent?" She stood up straight and let herself be handed the folder, flicking through it with a slight bored look on her face.

"Sing."

"What is this punishment, Director Fury? One mission?" Tex glanced down at the writing and smirked softly. "A mission to star in a Broadway musical alongside Adam Pascal? Yes, such a terrible punishment." She forced herself to keep her composure as Director Fury bent down to whisper in her ear, chewing on her lower lip as he stood up and smiled down at her.

"Do you accept?"

Tex gulped softly, but did not dare let anyone see her fear, instead she stood up to her full height and stared in to Director Fury's eye. "Of course, I've always wanted to be a Broadway star."

"Rehearsals start tomorrow at eight pm, the address is in the folder. The director is another SHIELD agent, the target will be the producer. Get close to him, if you know what I mean." Director Fury stalked out of the room, not even bothering to speak to the others, and he didn't even dare look at Bruce.

* * *

"What the hell did you say to her?"

"My, my, my Director Ice, anyone would believe you were emotionally attached to the subject."

"Don't give me this bull shirt, Fury! What did you say to Dianne to get her to agree to this! She left SHIELD, she is not an active member any more! Her file has been destroyed and she was let go! What the hell are you thinking?"

"I told her the truth, Director Ice. If she did not do this for SHIELD, if she did not come back on as an agent then there are ways of making her talk. I gave her a promise, Director Ice, she doesn't need to know that the promise won't happen."

"What. Was. The. Promise?"

"A child."

"You bastard!" Director Ice yelled, standing up and glaring down at him from the screen. "You complete bastard! Is this how SHIELD is over there? So corrupt and desperate that they are willing to play on the wants of a singular woman?"

"A woman who holds the key to Hulk!" Director Fury shot back, slamming his hands down on to the desk. "A woman who if she had just given us this information would not have to be doing this right now, yet in her stubbornness has brought this on herself! She thinks that she holds the cards, but now I have proven to her that it is I who holds the cards!"

"You are as bad as Loki ever was! He would never do this, yet you seem to think it acceptable? What do the governors think?"

"They want project 66H to go ahead, by any means possible."

"And how will you deliver on this promise, Fury? It is madness, no one can promise a child to someone else, even more so when their partner can not have children! You are grasping at straws, Nick Fury, and soon those straws will run out and you will be left with naught but air. Mark my words."

"I will mark them well, Director Ice. The promise was not to give her a child, it was a promise for a written guarantee that in the event of a pregnancy between herself and Dr Banner, SHIELD will not intervene nor go after the child or any other children the two of them might have, biological or adopted..."

"What is the catch?"

"She stays in our service over here until I see fit to release her. Or until she gives me the information that I am after for project 66H to go ahead. After the fiasco with Loki and the nuclear bomb, the governors are breathing down my neck. We all need to take desperate measures, Director Ice, and some of them will never be what we want to do."

"You bastard. You've just ruined her life!"

* * *

**Over 100 reviews, thank you guys so much! -blows kisses- I was thinking of a punishment that Director Fury would give that would be the worst thing he could ever do, and I finally came up with this one. I hope you guys like it, it is an interesting one, and one that on the surface is not that bad.**

**But when you think about it, this is the worst punishment that she could ever be given. A life in the service of SHIELD or selling out her best friend all to keep her future children safe. He is an ass, but Fury is good when it comes to creative punishments that don't look that bad on the outside. :D  
**


	15. Chapter 15

They hadn't spoken a word on what Director Fury's visit meant, both of them avoided the subject like a plague and the tension between them was slowly starting to rise once more. It was made only worse when Darcy ran in to the lab declaring that she had found the perfect wedding dress for Tex, before proceeding to drag Tex from the lab to go and show her.

Bruce watched as the door shut behind her before slumping down in to the chair, staring at the piece of paper in front of him. _One skin sample... That's all this test needs... _He let out a small laugh and fumbled around for the scalpel that Tex had taken off him a few minutes ago when he suggested the test, instantly his hands wrapped around the cool metal of the handle and a small smile crossed his features.

"Just one..." He whispered, rolling up his sleeve and placing the scalpel against his scarred skin. With a quick slice, twist and another slice and twist a small piece of flesh fell away from his arm on to the Petri dish that he had placed on his leg to catch it. Quickly he tossed the scalpel in to the bin and wrapped a bandage around his arm, rolling down his sleeve to hide it from anyone.

Taking the Petri dish over to the isolated part of the lab, he ignored the hazmat suit hooked up next to the door, he pushed the button and walked in to the concrete room. Laying the dish on the bench he got to work setting up a small particle transplant gun that will zap the piece of his flesh with a fresh dose of gamma radiation. Moving to the computer he ignored all safety protocols that normally one would go through and instead moved straight in to the testing phase.

Watching as a small beam of blue light hit the dish before vanishing, Bruce frowned as he saw his skin sample did not change. "No... That can't be... It normally change!" He mumbled, moving to intensify the gamma radiation by 10x and once again watched as the blue beam hit the skin sample.

Growling out in frustration he noted that the skin was still the same, the only difference was a small green tinge around the healthiest of the nerves before they to died from blood loss. "Hang on..." He quickly shoved the lid on the jar and placed it in to a machine of his own design that killed flesh almost instantly. Pressing the button he waited the five seconds before it was ready and once again pulled it out, placing the dish back on the bench he moved to grab the computer before taking it outside, behind the concrete wall for safety.

He pressed a few buttons and soon the gun was set to transmit 200x the recommended gamma radiation he had exposed skin samples to in the past. This was around a quarter of the gamma radiation that he had absorbed, and enough to trigger a Hulk reaction with no problem. Quickly pressing the button he watched as the blue light pulsed brighter against the skin sample, before dying down once more. He peered at the sample on the table, his eyes going wide as he saw that it was not green.

"If I die I can't transform... He is not immortal!" He whispered, dropping the computer and pressing his hands to the glass. "I am not immortal! I can still die! He can die! But how...?" Pressing the button on the wall he watched as the room was dealt with and the sample blown up by a precision laser. It would take twenty two hours for the room to be fumigated and all signs of the radiation gone to the point where one could enter the room safely once more. Though he was sure this time it would take at least three days, with the amount of gamma radiation that he had used.

* * *

The theatre was just like every other theatre that Tex had been in, though with a lot more space and a bigger budget. But it was still the same, Director was the boss, no one questioned their decisions unless they wanted to be replaced, the wardrobe department always acted like they were on drugs, zipping around to measure the new arrivals to start on the costumes already, the prop manager was loud and obsessive over the props and the producer walked around like they ran everything, though they had to ask the director for clearance on everything.

Tex was leaning against the wall, watching the target talk to the director, his hands motioning about in the air as he tried to explain his point, from the looks of things he was failing badly. Her rib had been healed by a random piece of Asgardian technology Thor had sent down to them, and the skin over the break was still tingling after the healing, making it feel like there were tiny spiders were dancing over her skin.

According to the file the target was dealing in alien arms, selling them to everything from private citizens and terrorist groups. He needed to be taken down as soon as possible, but only _after _Tex had gotten a positive view on the weapons trading hands. And in order to do that, she would have to get closer to him then what she wanted.

Her hair had been dyed back to her natural brown colour and she was wearing brown contacts, they had taken her a half an hour to get used to wearing them, but now she could hardly feel them. Her wedding ring was sitting on the side table in the room she shared with Bruce, along with her normal self, for now she was known as Addison, a theatre student from NIDA in her first Broadway show.

"Addy, the producer wants to see you." Nicole said, rushing up to smile at Tex. Her eyes were shining in excitement, this was her first job as an assistant director and she showed her excitement in bubbly chatter and hand gestures. "He's been watching you for the past fifteen minutes, someone is popular."

Tex let out a soft chuckle, flicking the hair from her face as she stood up straight. "Has he? Well, he is slightly cute." She let a small blush creep across her cheeks, making Nicole laugh softly and push her shoulder. "I'll go see him."

Walking towards the producer Tex felt like a lamb walking towards a hungry lion, all she wanted to do was go back to Stark Tower, into the lab and snuggle with Bruce. She didn't want to have to pretend to be attracted to the producer, for she wasn't. He had a hook nose, balding (Which he hid behind a very bad comb-over) and grey eyes that made her feel sick if she looked in to them for to long. He thought he was everything to the world, and from what she had heard from some of the other girls, gods gift to women.

Even Tony didn't give off as much sleaze ball vibes as this guy did.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Tex asked, her voice soft and shy as she placed her hands in front of her body in an innocent stance.

"Yes, I did Addison." The producer smiled and held out his hand. "I am Richard O'Hare, I don't think we have been properly introduced. Getting you in here was a bit of a rash directors decision."

Tex laughed softly and gently put her hand in his, forcing herself not to shudder as he brought her knuckles up to his lips and kissed them. "It is nice to meet you sir, I have heard so much about your vision for this revival of such an amazing and controversial musical. Who would have believed that even after all these years, Jesus Christ Superstar can still make religious people cringe in discomfort."

"Well, it's better to be controversial then stick by the rules." Richard said, letting her hand go and smiling down at her. "Wouldn't you say playing by the rules destroys stars careers? For if you didn't steal roles from other people, what would happen to you?"

_I want to go home and scrub myself... That's where it will get me, scrubbing the shit out of myself with as much soap as I can get my hands on..._

"I completely agree, sir..."

"Please, call me Richard."

"Ah, but I find calling you sir sounds nicer, _sir_." Tex said, giving him a flirtatious smile as he blushed softly and brought a hanky from his pocket to wipe his forehead. "If that is ok with you."

"My dear, it will always be ok with I." Richard said, once again taking her hand in his once more and kissing her knuckles.

_Don't shudder. Don't shudder. Don't shudder! Think it is Bruce, think it is Bruce! _She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment and nearly screamed in delight when the director called them over to start the rehearsal once more. With a small, shy smile to Richard, Tex hurried over to the others, trying not to throw up in her mouth and scrub her hand against the back of her pants.

* * *

"He was so sleazy! He makes Tony look like a fricken saint!" Tex said during supper that night. They had all crowded around the TV to watch a gossip show, it was slowly starting to become their regular night time activity, each laughing at the stories that the media made up, or cringing at stuff they had gotten right.

Tex was cuddled next to Bruce, her legs pulled up under her body and her hands sitting in her lap, his arm was around her waist and his other was holding her left hand. No one made any comment when they saw that the wedding ring was once again on her finger, even though Darcy had been let in on the secret that their marriage and wedding was a sham to keep Fury off their case.

"I am not that bad! Pepper, tell her I am not that bad!" Tony said, pouting as Pepper shook her head and laughed. "Oh of course, girls always side with other girls! I'll need to get more men in here... Stop laughing, I know that sounded bad!"

Steve blushed softly as he realised the conversation was turning sexual _again_ and was thankful when the show started with the top story of 'Avengers Wedding?'. "With reports of Miss Darcy Lewis and a new female companion looking at wedding dresses today, sources are coming forward to speak of an Avengers Wedding. But as one source has come out to say, the female companion has only ever been seen with Darcy Lewis, is this a new romance for the friend of The Avengers? Darcy has been spending a lot of time with this new comer, who wears a ring on her left finger, though sources say that the ring is a promise ring given to her by Darcy when she first arrived in America."

"WHAT?" Darcy yelled, sitting forward and staring at Tex, who was against Bruce in hysterical laughter as the others just stared between them. "They think we are gay? But... But it's a wedding ring, not a promise ring! Stop laughing Tony! Oh my god what will people think? I... I need to go..." She paused as her phone begun to ring. She hurried from the room as she answered it, and from the sound of her voice, the conversation was going better then she expected.

"Bobbi will think it's hilarious." Clint said once he had gotten his breath back from laughing so hard. "What? You thought it was a secret? Ha! As if honey, you can't keep secrets around here." He added when he saw Tex's stunned face.

"So, would you like to come to bed or are you sharing Darcy's bed tonight?" Bruce asked, smirking down at her.

"Baby, how about I bring _her _to share _our _bed?" Tex asked without missing a beat, smirking as Bruce blushed bright red and glared at her. "Don't try and beat me, honey." She kissed his cheek softly before walking out of the room.

"If you don't want her, I'll take her as a wife!" Clint said, laughing when Bruce glared at him before walking out after Tex. "I was just saying!"

Tex was curled up in bed already when Bruce had walked in to the room, the blanket thrown over her waist in a half hearted way, her chest rising and falling was the only indication to Bruce that she was still awake.

"You know, you are a pain in the ass." Bruce said, shutting the door before pulling his shoes off and chucking them in to the wardrobe. "I mean seriously, what did he say to get you to do this?" He asked as he slowly started to undress.

"I had to, Bruce." Tex whispered, her voice soft and filled with sadness. "There was nothing else I could do..."

"What was the price, Tex?"

"SHIELD leaving our children alone if we ever have any, biological or adopted. A written guarantee that they will not come near them. Null and void if I leave SHIELD's services, unless I give him the research."

"We won't be having children! What the hell were you thinking?" Bruce yelled, spinning around to stare down at her. "WE WILL NEVER HAVE CHILDREN, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"

"BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY SURE WAY HE WILL NEVER GET THE INFORMATION FROM ME! PROJECT 66H WILL NEVER GO AHEAD WITHOUT MY RESEARCH! THEY CAN'T GET IT IF I AM WORKING FOR SHIELD!" Tex yelled back at him, standing up from the bed and glaring in to his eyes, ignoring the small green tinge of his skin. "And you might change your mind one day..."

"I'VE ALREADY LOST ONE CHILD, WHY WOULD I WANT TO LOSE ANOTHER CHILD?"

"BECAUSE MAYBE THIS ONE WILL SURVIVE? MAYBE WE WILL FIND A WAY TO HAVE A CHILD!"

Bruce's composure suddenly changed, his breathing slowed down and his skin turned back to its normal colour, before he stared in to Tex's eyes. "I never want to have children, that ability was taken from me. Just understand that and move on, Dianne. In this relationship, there will never be the sound of children pattering around making mischief,there will never be school plays or sports events. Not with me."

"Well then maybe I should just take the research and go back to Australia. Save me having to pretend to want to get close to that producer to keep you safe."

"Maybe that's the best outcome. Just go Dianne, go back and hide, I am sure your mother will help you out. Maybe you can even use the name Addison."

"Go to hell, Bruce!" Tex whispered, shoving past him as she walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She spent the night in the empty spare room that only housed an old bed that Tony didn't want any more, her tears muffled by the pillow as she held it over her face.


	16. Chapter 16

**Three Months Later:**

It had been three months since the argument, no one had said a word of it the morning after, nor since. Bruce and Tex had let out an announcement saying that they needed to take things more slowly, and the wedding ring had vanished in one of the many draws in Tony's house. Their friendship however had survived and even grown stronger, if Tex wasn't on a mission (Being a star under the name Addison Hallows) she was always found in the lab helping Bruce with everything, from making a rabbit glow-in-the-dark (Tony said they couldn't, they proved him wrong) to working more things out about The Other Guy.

Though there had been no alien attacks since Loki, The Avengers still needed to be seen to make the world feel safe, everything from press conferences to balls all over the world (Tex's mouth still burnt from the Chilli eating challenge she had accepted in Mexico with Tony). Things seemed settled in Stark Tower, Jane was back from a working vacation in Peru, Darcy and Bobbi had finally come out with their relationship, (after Tony had caught them doing something unmentionable in the dinning room, though the new table was awesome!) and Clint's PTSD was starting to settle down, though he still had bouts of flashbacks and anger issues every now and then.

It was two days after Tony had made the comment 'I wish something exciting would happen, this is getting boring!' that all hell broke loose, and everyone's lives changed.

* * *

"There's a thunderstorm brewing..." Steve said, looking out at the clouds that were gathering around the tower. "Tony, are you sure these windows are good against lightening?" He glanced at Tony, who rolled his eyes and didn't bother answering him. Of course the tower was safe, he wasn't an idiot!

"This isn't a normal thunderstorm." Tex said, frowning as she watched the rotation of the clouds. "Thunderstorms don't do this."

"And how would you know?" Clint asked from where he was perched up on the bookcase, he had made one of many nests up there, and the top of the pine bookcase was scattered with random trinkets he had collected (including one of Tex's shoes) and a blanket. "You are not a weather person, you are a physicist!"

"Richard loves thunderstorms, believe me after three hours of listening to him droning on, you learn a little about the way they work." Tex said, ignoring the way Bruce flinched when she mentioned the other man in her life. She hated having to pretend to like Richard for the mission, and quite frankly she was ready to stab him with a knife and pretend she thought it was fake. "I swear if he doesn't show me something alien in the next two weeks I'm walking off the job."

"And give up the chance to sing in Broadway? Shut up and enjoy the weather talks." Bruce said, smiling at her shyly before going back to discussing sub-particle assembly with Tony. "I mean really, we've all done things we don't want to do for SHIELD, ask Natasha, her list is longer then yours ever will be."

"I am not selling my body f-" Tex's come back was cut off by a bolt of lightening hitting the roof of the building, which shook under the impact. "Jesus Tony, you said that this building was safe!"

"THOR!" Jane yelled, shoving past Tex and running up the stairs towards the roof.

"Did she just yell out the name of a Norse God?" Tex asked, staring around at every one blankly as they started towards the roof as well. "Oh fine, let's ignore the confused Aussie and all run up to roof in a thunderstorm." She mumbled before following after Bruce, wrapping her coat around her more to protect her from the chilling winds.

"Where the fuck did the clouds go?" She asked, coming to stand next to Bruce in the brilliant sunlight. "Holy mother of god..." She whispered, staring at the Norse God who was embracing Jane.

"No, just Thor." Tony said without missing a beat.

* * *

"I am sorry to come unannounced." Thor said once they had all gone back in to the lounge room, Tex had not said anything for the past ten minutes and Bruce was starting to get worried she was actually in real shock. "But father sent me down here as quickly as he could."

"Another alien attack?" Tony asked, huffing lightly. "I swear as soon as you or your brother set foot on this planet all hell breaks out!"

"It's about my brother." Thor said, moving a little in discomfort as he withdrew a bundle of blankets from a sling he was carrying around him. "About his safety and his punishment."

"Fuck."

"Tony!" Pepper hit her boyfriend lightly on the arm when he cursed, before seeing what made him curse and shoving her hands over her mouth. "Is that...?"

"Loki." Thor said, placing the bundle down on the ground and bending down to reveal a very annoyed looking toddler. "This is his punishment but also to keep him safe. He made a promise that he could not keep because of us, and he is being hunted by the one who wanted the Tesseract and Midgard. Father thought of every way that he could keep Loki safe, knowing that they would find him under any realm and any covering spell. Until Heimdall told him of a promise made between her and SHIELD." Thor turned and pointed to Tex, who instantly took a step back in to Bruce, shaking her head.

"No." She whispered, her voice shaking as she stared down at the toddler. "No, that doesn't cover this! That does _not _cover _this!" _

"Does the promise not cover all children, of your body and Bruce's seed and also children of anothers that you foster?" Thor asked, ignoring the blush that covered both Bruce and Tex's cheeks. "Why would adopting Loki be any different?"

"He tried to enslave the planet!" Bruce said, glaring at Thor. "He killed innocent lives because he had a temper tantrum! Now imagine that power in a childs body! He'll destroy the house!"

"His powers are gone, they will grow stronger as he ages, but with the right guidance he will learn to use them for good and not evil. With the right people his destiny can be changed!" Thor argued back, standing protectively behind his brother. "Please, you are here to help people, the Asgardian's are asking you to help us."

Loki took that moment to glare up at Bruce before standing up and toddling around the room, muttering in baby language what Tex would bet on was a curse. "He remembers everything, doesn't he?" She asked, bending down and watching as Loki tried to climb up on the couch, avoiding the spot where Hulk smashed him in to the ground.

"Yes, father let him keep his memories in a hope that a happy life would teach him the errors of his way." Thor said, watching as Tex scooped up a kicking and wriggling Loki and placed him on the couch. The god promptly pushed himself back on to the ground and gave her what she could only describe as a smirk.

"Smirk all you like short ass, but ultimately you just missed your goal. Which was getting up on the couch. Just like when you tried to take over the world!" Tex said, patting Loki on the head sarcastically and moving back to stand next to Bruce, frowning when Loki followed her grumpily with his arms crossed across his chest.

"Oh look, he trails around like a puppy..." Tony said, earning himself another whack from Pepper. "You know what, I don't want this on my hands..." He shook his head and looked around at the other Avengers. "You guys decide, because to me he's a monster who should be destroyed before he grows up once more."

"I'm with Tony." Natasha said, no emotion evident in her voice. "We all saw the destruction he can cause, why chance that again?"

"He is a child!" Steve argued, staring between Natasha and Tony like they were mad. "Would you so easily slay an innocent child? I've seen children in the army and I have seen to many children die at the hands of people to let another one suffer."

"Look, I'm sorry about world war two, but that guy was a dick head!" Tony shot back, glaring at Steve. "I refuse to help him! He deserves everything he gets."

"STOP IT!" Tex yelled out, not knowing where the protective feelings had come from, but she soon found herself with Loki on her hip and her arms around him to keep him safe from them. "Dear god listen to you, he is a child! It doesn't matter who he was, it matters who he is now! And right now he is a defenceless toddler once again kicked out of his home! I will not abandon him like others have done before me, he is a child and needs to be treated like one." She ignored the small hit he gave her chest at the mention of being treated like a child as she turned to look at Bruce. "Please, we are the only ones he can go to in order to stay safe."

"He called me a man-beast!" Bruce said, glaring down at the god, who smirked and snuggled his head against Tex in a way that made her heart melt. "Oh for gods sake look at him! Now he's playing the cute card! If you want him protected..." Bruce said, taking Loki out of Tex's arms and handing him back to Thor. "Get Jane to do it, or hand him to SHIELD. I am with Tony."

"They would take him and lock him up!" Thor said, looking appalled. "I thought Midgardians had mercy! But you show less mercy then a Jutonn!"

Tex stared down at the ground, not wanting the others to see the tears that fell from her eyes as she felt Loki staring at her. "We were chosen..." She said, looking up at Bruce. "Out of everyone in the universe we were chosen to raise him and care for him."

"Only because of Fury's promise to you!" Bruce shot back, glaring down at her. "I'm not father material! You're not mother material! We would be horrible parents and I would probably end up killing him over him not doing his homework! He tried to take over the world."

"You tried to blow your high school up with a bomb, how is that any different? You were both teenagers with a lot of anger!"

"And you pole danced in your schools cafeteria, what we did doesn't mean anything!"

"She pole dances?" Clint and Tony asked at the same time, both of them moving a little so they could look at Tex, who flipped them off without breaking eye contact with Bruce.

"Until we find a way to keep him safe from those who are hunting him, let him stay here. He will be fully my responsibility Bruce, you won't have to do anything for him."

"He is not a puppy, Dianne! He is a god, one who is deranged and dangerous..." Bruce let his voice trail off when Tex raised an eyebrow slowly at him, knowing deep down inside that he was just the same. But he had learnt to live a proper life without it, to control the urges to hurt and the insanity that plagued his mind as the blows from his father seemed to hurt once more. "He is your responsibility, you handle SHIELD when they find out, you watch him and so help me if anything happens!" He hissed, advancing on Tex, who stood her ground. "I want nothing to do with him!"

"That's fine." Tex said, gently putting her hands on his chest and pushing him away so that she could walk over to Thor and scoop Loki up in to her arms, the god once again glared at her as he tried to wriggle free. "Stop it or else I will drop you three stories on to the balcony. You'll survive it and it might put some manners in to you... Thank you. Let's hope to Odin you are toilet trained! Ah, by that look you are, fantastic!"

"Clint if you make one more whiplash sound I swear to god I will murder you!" Bruce snarled, glaring over to Clint who had retreated up in to his nest, smirking down at the doctor.

* * *

**After carefully thinking and planning, this is the direction that I like my story to take. I was going to split my story in to two, but I think it will be easier on me if I write it as one and just mash the two stories together lol. **

**I hope you guys enjoy this twist, and I promise I won't live up to the nick name of Joss Whedon and kill off a major character. I have been called a female, Australian version of him many times, but I promise to behave in this story.**

** It shall have a happy ending, what ever that will be... *evil grin*  
**


	17. Chapter 17

Bruce watched as Loki shoved another bit of pizza in to his mouth as he wriggled around on Tex's lap in happiness, a green mist rolling from his body as his magic responded to such a positive emotion. They had been told ten minutes ago by JARVIS that Director Fury was on his way to speak to Thor about some protections the Asgardian's could give Earth for the Olympics, the British government wanted them to go off without a hitch, or alien invasion.

In that time Tex had changed out of her track pants and PJ top in to her normal, as Tony put it, Kick-Ass Attire. Black jeans with a knife strapped to her left calf and a gun on her right calf, a singlet (which showed both her tattoos, Bruce was beginning to like Gamma Radiation's symbol) and a denim jacket thrown over the top, which concealed the knife that was tucked down the back of her pants and the one strapped to her forearm. Having Loki on her lap was her way of protecting him if things got sour, Bruce knew for a fact that Tex could kill someone whilst still sitting down and without looking at them.

Everyone else was busy asking Thor questions on baby Loki, and Clint was playing around with Tex's phone, which left Bruce to his own mind, which was wandering on to a plan of a new bomb, one that could destroy any alien threat with minimal risk to humans. It would be the biggest chemical warfare bomb known to man, and he had started to plan it out on the napkin in front of him, his pizza completely forgotten.

He just needed to find some living thing that he could test the chemicals on to see what happened, perhaps he could get Tony to get him a rat, hamster and a guinea pig so that he could do three test trials. Then again, after Tony had found out what he had done in the lab, he was no longer allowed in there unsupervised, which meant he would have to find another space for a lab. His second napkin soon carried a list of abandoned buildings he could remember seeing online as Tony looked for somewhere else to build a new HQ, one of his design seeing as Loki proved that the other one was such a _smart _idea.

"Er... Tex... I just got a text message and I accidentally opened it." Clint said, looking at Tex guiltily. "And maybe kinda read it."

"Who is it from?" Tex asked, looking up from where she was trying to stop Loki from shoving the whole slice in his mouth.

"Someone called Fi, she said 'Just got introduced to strip Mario Kart, sitting here in a room full of nerds with only socks and a g-string on. Apparently vodka does not make me any better at Mario Kart then when I am sober. Don't know if this beats living in a house with fucking hot superheroes, but it's the closest I get. PS: The nerd closest to me is wearing Captain America boxers."

"University?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow at Tex as Steve tried not to spontaneously combust due to the severity of his blush.

"Yep." Tex said, chuckling softly as she took the phone off Clint to reply. "Last year this year, so she's going all out. She's doing a degree in engineering, last week she helped her dorm make a slip 'n' slide down five flights of stairs."

"I think i'm in love!" Clint said with a dreamy expression. "All she needs to do is like Star Wars, archery and circus tricks and I'm proposing."

Tex rolled her eyes as she flicked through the photos on her camera, before passing it to Clint. "This is her in her summer job, she works as a fire breather for a local circus and also for kids parties."

"Does she like diamonds or rubies in an engagement ring?"

"Sir, Director Fury is on his way up, perhaps it is time to hide the child?" JARVIS's voice rang around the room, which made Tex gently hold on to Loki a little tighter.

"No." She said sternly, just as the doors opened and in walked Director Fury.

"Bruce, why is Tex glowing with green mist?" He asked instantly, raising an eyebrow as he heard a child's giggle.

"Not my doing." Bruce said, standing up and gathering up his napkins to take to his room. "Ask Thor why the kid is here." He added, before walking out of the room.

"I just saw a plan on there for a bomb..." Tony said, watching as Bruce walked out of the room. "I'll go talk to him." He quickly got away from the table and then paused, half of him wanted to go speak with his friend and the other half wanted to watch the inevitable show down between Tex and Nick Fury, he had already witnessed one and he was sure this one would be so much better.

"Then again, i'm sure it's nothing serious." He added, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed across his chest.

"And who is the child?" Fury asked, hiding his suspicions well when the other Avengers, Darcy and Bobby got up from the table. "And why is Iceman here?"

"Break between missions, sir." Bobby said, smiling at Director Fury. "Thought I'd come in and see the missus." He added, taking Darcy's hand and laughing at her small blush. "We were just having a pizza night when Thor showed up."

_Ok... Not the weirdest thing that has ever been announced... _Director Fury thought, before turning his attention on Thor, who was standing with a small smile. "Turn around Agent Grey." He said in a commanding tone when he realised that Tex was still sitting with her back facing him. "Now!"

Tex let out a small huff as she stood up, moving Loki to sit on her hip and spun around to see him. Instantly the green mist vanished from around Loki as the young child glared at the Director with pure hatred in his green eyes. Yet his hands clung to Tex's shirt in fear that the Director would take him away once more, he did not want to be locked in that glass case and watched like a captured animal waiting to be sent to slaughter once more.

"Better, Director?" Tex asked, her voice smooth and calm as she jiggled Loki a little, making him crack a very small smile, yet the green mist still did not return to his skin. "This is our child, Thor brought him down from Asgard for Bruce and I to raise. Poor thing is an orphan and needs a loving family..."

"That's... That's..." Director Fury swallowed hard as he stared at the toddler in her arms, before standing to his full height, already pulling the walkie talkie out of his pocket to lift to his mouth.

"I wouldn't do that sir." Tex said, her smile becoming a smirk. "We have a written agreement, one that you and I both signed. No children of Bruce and I, biological or adopted will be hunted down by SHIELD. SHIELD will have nothing to do with the raising of said children and any way this contract is broken, so ends my service to SHIELD and also their hunt for paperwork on Bruce." She bent down to pick the piece of paper up from the table and held it out to show him.

"You can't touch, Loki. And if you try, I swear to god I will show you every single bone that can be taken from a humans body without ending their life! I promise that I will continue to use smelling salts to revive you every time you pass out from the pain, only to witness and feel more bones being pulled from their sockets and taken from your body. I would start at your feet, I would even cauterise everything so that you don't bleed to death. So _don't _even _think_ of sending in a team to try and take this child from my arms, because it will not end well."

"You dare threaten the Director of SHIELD?" Nick asked, his voice raised slightly in complete and utter anger. The god who tried to destroy and take over the world was right there, he could be taken and neutralised to stop future problems from him, and yet there was nothing he could do about it!

"No sir, I promise. So if you decide to break this contract, I will take Loki and I will hide. And I will not walk in to your agents camp to be handed to you, I will not go quietly and I will kill who ever tries to take me in."

Tony had to give it to Tex, she could be downright terrifying when she wanted to be! Behind Director Fury, Tony saw Bruce standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets and his sleeves rolled down as he watched, ready to intervene if he needed to protect Tex. As much as he had hated the idea of having Loki around, he could not stop himself from needing to protect Tex.

"He destroyed this planet, Dianne!" Director Fury said, staring down at the innocent looking child with pizza covering his face. "He murdered hundreds of innocent people, laid waste to a whole town, and now you are sticking up for him?"

"He is a child, Director Fury! I don't care what he has done in his past, he is a child and until he becomes an adult and be accountable for his actions, I will not let you touch him!" Tex moved Loki on her hip a little as she drew the knife from the thigh, not wanting to use the gun because she knew it would hurt Loki's ears.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Tony said, standing between the two of them, Bruce had started to move in to the room once again as well. "No need for that, honey. Put it away, he's not taking the child. Thor, please stop eating the pizza and explain before blood is shed here over your brother!"

Thor sighed softly and placed the crust back on the table, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he started to speak. "My father has decided to punish Loki by turning him back in to a toddler, in this he hopes that Loki is given a life that he was not granted on Asgard. This also comes as a way to protect Loki from unspeakable pain and suffering at the hands of the leader of the army who served Loki in his bid to enslave Midgard. The promise was Midgard in return for their arrival in to the realms once more, but of course he failed, meaning that they hunted him down and found him in Asgard. My father has placed him in the only safe hands he knows will keep Loki safe, even if the army finds him again."

"You mean you have given us something that is the invitation to attack us?" Director Fury asked, glaring at Thor, who shrugged before stating.

"You did that when you designed those weapons!" Thor shot back, his hands clenched in fists by his side as thunder started to roll in around the tower.

"And what does Dr Banner make of this? The man who is against children due to his condition?" Nick Fury knew it was a low blow from the way that Bruce stiffened and both Natasha _and _Tex raised knives at him.

"Tex is not my pet." Bruce said, his words chosen carefully as he contained his anger. "Nor is she my slave, she can make her own life choices..."

"But she is your wife! This impacts your life greatly!"

"Clearly _you _have never had a wife." Bruce said, his voice filled with venom that Tony had never heard before. "Because those of us who have one know for a fact that you can not tell them what to do, and when someone is in need, they will protect that someone, more so if it is a child. I know Dianne more then any of you know her, and sometimes more then she knows herself. There is nothing I can say or do that will make her stop protecting this child, no matter who he was."

"Who he _is, _Dr Banner is a very important topic as well!" Nick said, sighing as he realised none of them would back down. "Be it on your own head, Dianne Grey. If one thing goes wrong, you will pay for it dearly." He then turned and motioned for Thor to go with him, moving to a private room to discuss security measures and protection for the Olympics that the Asgardians could spare.

"So it is." Bruce said, walking over to Tex and smiling at her. "He's our son now, much to his hatred." He added, blushing softly when Tex placed a small kiss on his cheek.

"Erm... Tex... Fi just text you again." Clint said, blushing softly. "And she wants to let you know that even though she is not sober, she still thinks you should tap that ass twenty five different ways until the sun comes up. She also suggested making a tape and sending it to her for scientific purposes... Once again, can I marry this chick?"

* * *

**Wow, I got some negative comments on this story after the last chapter, but the majority were positive for the way the story has gone. I'm sorry if you think this story has gotten stupid, and that you want me to redo it in order to remove Loki, but I will not be doing that at all, Toddler!Loki is here to stay.**

**For those of you worried if Bruce will not go back to his insane way, then you do not realise how much a child takes away from other people. It will be easy for him to slip through the cracks when others attention are on missions and Loki.  
**

**I don't know how the new FF rules will affect any of my stories, but if it does, I will have to dust off my LJ and start to use that for stories. I know must people hate reading stories on LJ, but it's the best thing I have. :(  
**

**Also, I do not recommend Strip Mario Kart unless you are really _really _good at the game! :D  
**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and sorry about the rant to the people who left anon/un logged in comments for this story telling me to redo it.  
**

**Jabberwocky.  
**


	18. Chapter 18

"They are going to hunt down that boy." Director Ice said, pacing in front of her monitor as she chewed on her pen, ignoring Nick telling her to stop it. "They will send an army out to gather him, and you left him in my daughters protection?"

"There was nothing I could do, she had the contract right there!" Director Fury said, sighing as he lent back in to his chair. "He is now under her care as well as under the protection of the Avengers, if anyone tries something they wi-"

"I'm sending my best agent there, no arguments Nick." Director Ice said as she placed her hands on her desk, staring down at him through the monitor. "She should be there any minute, she is not undercover for there would be no reason for her to be undercover, Dianne would pick her instantly."

"How?"

"They are best friends."

* * *

"I am going to show you something that will blow your mind..." Richard said, taking Tex's hand and bringing her knuckles up to his lips and brushing a small kiss across them. "You wanted to see a wonder of the universe, and I have found something just for you."

Tex let herself giggle softly as she blushed, looking away from him shyly as he led her towards the back room of her house. Her contacts had turned in to camera's (A new invention from Tony that he had taken from and episode of _Torchwood) _and were replaying all the information back to the strike team parked a block away, the necklace around her neck was a small microphone and she knew that Bruce could hear everything that she said.

"I am sure what you are going to show me is _out of this world..._" She whispered softly in a breathless voice, making Richard laugh and press her against the wall. Her breath hitched in her throat, he took it as a sign of arousal instead of the sign of shock and slight disgust that it really portrayed.

"That will be after I show you this..." He whispered back, his breath mingling with hers as he brought his lips down to steal a kiss, one that she broke off quickly.

_Think of Loki, think of Bruce... Think of the protection. He will show you it soon, then you've got him. Oh god I am going to need more bottles of mouth wash! _She stiffened as his hand ran up her bare thigh, thanks to the short skirt that Natasha had made her wear. "Slowly, let's not ruin the surprise." She giggled softly as she removed his hand. "Anyway, I want to see what this amazing thing is from outer space..."

"Of course, I've been teasing you about it long enough."

He laced their fingers together and started to walk towards the room once more, chattering away about how he found it in a small town in New Mexico and how it could revolutionise everything to do with music and theatre.

"_Are you sure this is alien!" _Tony's voice spoke in Tex's ear, making her nod her head a little as she fixed her hair. _"Fine, but I don't want to see you sleeping with the enemy." _

"_Tony, that's not even funny!" _Bruce's voice came through, Tex could tell that he wasn't even trying to hide his anger.

"_Sorry, Bruce."_

"Here it is..." Richard said, suddenly bringing Tex back in to the situation she was _meant _to be focusing on. The room he had brought her in was filled with different alien technology ranging from guns to something that looked like an alien hair dryer. She slowly looked around the room, making sure that the others could see everything, before returning her eyes to the golden harp that sat on the bench.

"_THAT IS ASGARDIAN!" _Thor yelled in her ear, making her jump a little as she brushed her hand over the cool metal of the harp. _"DO NOT TOUCH THAT, LADY DIANNE!"_ But Tex did not hear his warning, instead she had lifted the harp up and started to play, her fingers plucking the strings as if the harp was made for her.

"_Apparently she didn't listen Thor..." _Tony said sarcastically, frowning as he tried to figure out when Tex learnt to play the harp, before Bruce answered his thought.

"_Tex cannot play the harp! Thor how is she playing the harp?"_

"_It is cursed to any mortal that touches it, they shall play until they die."_

"_We have enough, go!" _Natasha snapped, her team already moving towards the house, soon they were joined by Tony and the others, though Bruce stayed behind to monitor things unless he was desperately needed. Darcy had decided to spend the night looking after Loki, when they had left the both of them had been engrossed in the movie _Tangled_.

When they had finally gotten the harp from Tex, her fingers were bleeding badly from the strings and she was shaking in complete and utter shock at her body being taken over by magic. "I used to like the harp..." She whispered, watching as Thor placed the instrument in to a sack and shut it instantly, running a length of cord around it. "Guess it doesn't like me..." She added, making Tony laugh.

"Let's get you back to Bruce so he can fix those fingers up, and hug you." Tony said, helping her walk towards the cars. He frowned as she paused and turned to look at Richard, who was being loaded in to the back of the car, she gave him a small nod of the head in farewell and then turned to continue on towards Bruce with Tony.

"What was that for?" Tony asked when they had gotten closer to the van, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.

"I always say goodbye to people I get to know." Tex said simply, before climbing in to the back of the van and collapsing on Bruce, her face snuggled in to his chest as he tended to her fingers.

* * *

"What makes you think that I will _ever _allow you near the Avengers and near this child under the pretense that you could help them?" Director Fury asked, crossing his arms as he stared at the young woman. Her hair was coloured bubble gum pink, her hazel eyes were lined with a dark line of purple and a lollipop stick poked out of the corner of her mouth. "I know Director Ice claims you are the best, but I have not seen it..."

"You trust Director Ice because you see yourself in her, not only that, you are also sexually attracted to her but know that it would never lead to anything due to being both Directors of different branches of SHIELD. You still feel resentment over Loki not because he tried to take over the world, but because he could use Eric Selvig to control and stabilise the Tesseract. Something you had tried to do so many times and only ever failed at, even though you wanted to create weapons for it. The idea of The Avengers was so close to your heart because you knew that the world would need more heroes then just the army as our planet became more and more advanced within its science and its weaponry." She stopped as soon as he managed to raise his hand, which was slightly shaking in shock at the fact that she had managed to do something that no one had ever been able to do.

And that was understand him.

"If you ever tell any one what you just said then, I will personally sign your death warrant." He whispered, placing his hand back on the table as she smirked and moved the lollipop stick to the other side of her mouth as she rolled the ball of lolly over her tongue. "You will be collected and taken to the tower tomorrow morning at o six hundred hours, for tonight you will sleep in one of the spare rooms at base."

"Thank you sir." The woman crouched down and picked up the bag that was sitting by her leg, before slinging it over her left shoulder and grinning at him. "I am looking forward to working alongside with The Avengers."

"Answer me one question before you leave, why is your codename Drop Bear?"

"It's because I'm cute and cuddly, but I am also one of the most deadly agents SHIELD has in the Southern Hemisphere. But I must prefer to be called Fi when I am not working."

"Very well, Fi. I hope Director Ice knows what she is doing."


	19. Chapter 19

It did not take long after Tex had placed the plate of pancakes in front of Loki for an arrow to come flying from the rafters to stick in the middle of them, smashing the plate that hold them and digging in to the table. Loki squealed in delight and clapped his hands, the kitchen becoming covered in green mist from his complete and utter joy at what was becoming the new breakfast routine.

"CLINT YOU DO NOT NEED TO SHOOT IT WITH FUCKING ARROWS!" Tex yelled out, instantly scooping Loki out of the seat and holding him to her chest in protection. "YOU COULD JUST COME DOWN AND GET THEM YOU PSYCHOPATHIC, IDIOTIC CU-"

"DON'T SAY THAT WORD!" Bruce yelled, walking in to the kitchen and staring at Tex. "Not in front of Loki and _not _in this house, understand?" He asked, laughing as he tapped her on the nose playfully, before glancing at Loki with a wary smile as he walked away to make himself from breakfast.

"Well he is..." Tex mumbled, placing Loki in a different seat at the table and going to dish up another plate of pancakes. She glanced over to see Loki standing on the table trying to pull the arrow out of it, stomping his feet in annoyance when he couldn't. "Well, I see you are not that strong yet, which is good." She said.

"One day!" Loki shot back at her, stomping his foot once more before climbing back down in to his seat. "One day I'll get it." He added, making Bruce stare at him once more. Loki sent him a smirk before happily picking up his fork as Tex placed the plate in front of him. "Thank you."

"Good boy, remember, you can only talk like this around us." Tex said as she ruffled his hair happily. She knew that Loki would develop faster then a normal child would, and she had already read the baby book over three times to make sure he was on track to where he was last time. He was a little behind, as he had only just started to use full sentences in the past few days, but she was sure that was due to him sulking that he had ended up in Midgard. "When you go to kindergarten next year, you have to speak like the other toddlers I've shown you."

"Yes mama!" Loki said, his words instantly taking on the normal 'toddler' tone and pronunciation. Before he could be made to speak like that again, he shoved a pancake in his mouth and started to chew on it happily, his cheeks bulging as a small bit of maple syrup ran down his chin.

"Clint!" Tony called as he walked in to the room, the newspaper open in his hands. "Do you know if Natasha had a hit last night?" He glanced up at the rafters before taking a step to his left as Clint landed right next to him.

"Nope, she was on a date as far as I know." Clint said, moving to pull the arrow from the table before he started to eat his pancakes, using the arrowhead as a fork and a knife. "She told Fury that any missions could be handled by somebody else."

"Who was the lucky guy?" Steve asked, smiling his thanks at Bruce as he was handed a bowl of cornflakes.

"That egocentric ass from Texas that managed to out drink her."

"Ah..."

"So if Natasha didn't do the hit, you didn't do the hit, who did?" Bruce asked, sitting next to Tex and staring up at Tony. "And where did it happen?"

"A belly dancing club, and I took the hit." A voice said, making them turn to see who was speaking.

"FI!" Tex yelled, rushing over and gathering her friend up in a hug. "Oh my god, what are you doing here? Why are you dressed like that?" She held on to her friends shoulders and pulled away, looking her up and down. She was wearing a long flowing skirt with a large slit up the left side and a bra, the material was decorated with intricate beading and layers upon layers of lace and material flowed from a belt hooked over her skirt.

"That was my hit." Fi said, smiling softly at Tex. "And I am here because you adopted an alien who is hunted, your mother did not trust these people to protect you as well as I can. We do not know who we are dealing with, she wanted me to come over and..." She paused as she glanced at Clint. "Yes, they are boobs, stop staring." Looking back at Tex she continued. "Where was I? Oh yeah, your mum wanted me to come across and protect your little family unit. And last night Director Fury needed someone to do a hit, and he didn't know if you were the right person, so I said I would do it. Good bounty on the guys head as well, plus it got me belly dancing again, forgot how much I loved it!"

"And that would explain the clothes..." Bruce said, not looking up from his plate of pancakes, he knew that Steve was doing the same thing, whereas Tony and Clint were openly staring at the poor woman.

"And how the hell did you break in to here with out JARVIS alarming me?" Tony asked as he ripped his eyes away from her body and glared at her. "No one can break in!"

"SHIELD over rode his programming, Director Fury told me to give you this message. You are not the only one that can play with computers, Stark." Fi smiled at him before flicking a curl of hair from her face. "He should be back online in three minutes, but until then SHIELD is stationed all around the block for protection."

"Excuse me, I'll be in the lab!" Tony grumbled, grabbing his plate and storming off. Three minutes later the sound of blaring rock music floated up through the open door to the stairwell, causing Steve to use it as an excuse to get up from the table to shut it.

"So you are the strip Mario Kart woman?" Clint asked, smirking as he moved towards her, almost like a lion stalking its prey. Fi stood her ground, her eyes slowly moving up and down the archers body as Tex took her cue to move back to the table, leaving Fi and Clint to come face to face.

"You must be the man that can hit a target from five hundred yards away with one arm tied behind his back..." Fi said, dropping her voice down in to a husky whisper. "That must be some tongue you have, agent."

"Maybe one day I'll show you it, in return for something of course, miss...?"

Fi placed a hand against Clint's chest, bringing herself closer to him as she heard his breath hitch and his heart rate start to race a little more. Moving so that her lips brushed against his ear, she whispered. "Miss Out Of Bounds..." She laid a gentle kiss against his ear lobe before moving to sit across from Tex, happily swiping a pancake from her best friends plate.

Clint quivered on the spot as he silently gulped down lung fulls of air to try and stop his racing heart beat and another part of his body from reacting. _She's like Natasha times a million! _He thought, quivering again as he thought of her giving him a private showing of her belly dancing skills. Quickly remembering that there were others in the room, he quickly shoved the rest of the pancake in his mouth and held the arrow in his hands as he climbed back up in to the rafters, disappearing in to his nest so that he could keep a better eye on the newcomer.

"Way to stir up Clint, Fi." Tex said, rolling her eyes as she glanced at Bruce. "Stop it!" She growled, hitting him across the hand. She grabbed the pen from his grasp and threw it across the room, before scrunching up the plans he had been working on for the gamma bomb.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Bruce snarled, going to hit her across the face but stopping himself just in time. "Oh my god..." He whispered, his eyes widening as he realised what he was about to do. "I'm so sorry Dianne! I would never hi-"

"Eat Bruce, before it gets cold." Tex said, ignoring Fi's raised eyebrow as she went back to reading the paper that Tony had left behind.

"Do I have to speak like a toddler now?" Loki asked, making Fi stare at him in complete and utter shock whilst Tex chuckled.

* * *

**Ok guys, just to let you know, rating has changed now that Fi and Clint are near each other, I have a feeling that their conversations will get a little _dirty_!  
Also Loki is not a grown man in a toddlers body, he is a toddler with grown up Loki's memories. His speech is much more advanced then a normal toddlers because he is a god, he will also have a few more little quirks that will come out later on in the story.**

**Hope you guys don't mind me giving Clint a little loving in the story, after everything he's been through, he needs some happiness.  
**

**Jabberwocky.  
**


	20. Chapter 20

"Honey if you _Pour Some Sugar On Me _we'll be on our way to _Easy Street _by _Tomorrow_." Fi said, gently placing her legs up on the coffee table and smirking at Clint, who was eyeing her off from his perch on top of the book case as he tried to think of a response. His nest now included a baby blanket from Loki and one of Fi's hair brushes he had snatched before she could murder him, though he did have a bruise on the back of his thighs from her hitting him with the broom when she found out.

"Baby you can try all you like, but you just can't _Take On Me. _You keep playing this silly little games with me, and _I Just Can't Wait To Be King _when you finally figure out that you can't beat me, even _My Friends _have given up trying." Clint said, smirking happily back at her as he settled himself a little more on the top of the bookcase to get comfortable, sometimes jeans were not the best pants to wear, even more so when Fi was walking around in low cut jeans and a crop top after coming in from a training session with Natasha.

"What the hell are they doing?" Tony asked, glancing between the two assassins before looking at Bruce, who was scribbling away furiously on a piece of paper. He was trying his best to keep Bruce occupied whilst Tex was out for the day with Darcy, Jane and Loki, but he knew that his attempts were starting to piss Bruce off instead of help him.

"They are seeing who cracks first when it comes to using songs in sentences." Bruce replied without looking up at him. "At the moment Fi has managed to do it flawlessly, where as Clint keeps having to pause to think of a song that will work... I think I'll be relocating the room when _Like A Virgin _is mentioned."

"Man, that's when you _stay _in the room!" Tony said, laughing as he sat down on the barstool and popped a cherry in his mouth from the punnet on the bench. "So anyway... What is happening with you and Tex?"

"What do you mean? We are friends."

Tony watched as Bruce's posture turned from relaxed in to defensive as his grip on the pen became a little stronger, yet still the Doctor continued on with his plans. When Tony angled his head he frowned as he saw the plan for the chemical bomb, which was quickly snapped up and shoved in Bruce's pocket.

"I know you are friends, but come on... friends with benefits?" Tony asked, smirking when Bruce blushed.

"She has a child..." Bruce said as he dug around in the fridge for the lettuce he had left in there to go mouldy. "Who happens to be a god, so there really isn't that much time for that. Not that I want it anyway."

"Why? Because she has a kid?"

"Yes! I'm not father material, and to be quite frank I would rather kill the monster before he grows up. But she adores him and protects him more then I could ever imagine her protecting some one that..." He trailed off as he pulled the lettuce out, a small smile on his face as he inspected the micro organisms that had grown on it. "Now if you don't mind, I have an experiment to conduct." He added before walking out of the room.

"JARVIS tell me if he goes anywhere _near _the Gamma radiation." Tony said, before turning to face Fi and Clint, before raising an eyebrow and placing another cherry in his mouth.

Clint was bent over a smirking Fi as her foot gently travelled up his leg before coming to a rest on his thigh, ready to push him away at any second. "Baby I would treat you _Like A Virgin _with all the _Cream _that I can pour on you..." He whispered, his voice taking on a husky tone as Fi let her foot drop to the floor and her hands move to press against his chest.

"You think you can _Show Me How To Live_?" She asked, grasping the front of his shirt to pull him down so that their lips nearly touched. Tony was having a moral dilemma, not knowing if he should stay and see how it turns out, or leave to give his friend some privacy, his dilemma was over when he placed another cherry in his mouth. "I'm _A Slave For You, _Clint Barton, but the question is... Can you _Seize The Day _or will it be just be another of my _Memories_?"

Clint quivered as he pressed his lips in to hers for a heated and passionate kiss, before pulling away and smirking down at her, gently running his thumb over her lower lip as she stared up in to his eyes. "_Another Day." _He said, before walking away, leaving her breathing heavy on the couch and chuckling.

"Love that musical, baby!" She called after him, before walking out of the room as well, making Tony wonder what the hell had just happened between them.

* * *

"MAMA!" Loki cried, happily running between the legs of shoppers as he rushed ahead of the group of women that were looking after him. "MAMA HERE!" He yelled back over his shoulder, stopping dead as he grinned up at the giant poster. He giggled loudly as he stood in front of it, turning back to face Tex as she gasped before bursting out laughing.

"Really? You had to find this poster?" She asked, scooping him up and staring in to the face of grown up Loki as he glared down at her from the poster. "Eyes are not the right colour of green." She whispered to him, making him giggle and clap his hands. "Come on, before someone thinks that you're his kid." She added, moving to stand next to Jane who was looking at a Thor action doll.

"Well you know, at least this one will not break the bed..." Darcy said, smirking as Jane flushed red and sent her assistant a glare that could melt ice. "Is it wrong that I can see Tony buying every single one of his own action figures?" She asked, making the other two women burst out laughing as they saw the Iron Man figure was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh they are totally sitting on his bedside table..." Tex said, moving to look at the Hulk line of toys. "Loki, don't do that." She said, adjusting her grip on the wriggling toddler as he tried to grab the toy Loki Staff from the shelf. "Last thing I need you to do is have a staff again..." Her voice trailed off as he stared up at her with the biggest pout she had ever seen him give her.

"Oh god, I bet you ten bucks she buys the staff." Darcy said, smirking at Jane who rolled her eyes and placed the Thor figure in her basket, ignoring the snigger from Darcy. It didn't take long for the ten dollars to be handed over and Loki to show off his new staff happily as he strutted next to Tex, his hand gently holding hers.

"You know the guys are going to freak when they see this?" Darcy asked, motioning to Loki before looking at Tex, who had paused to look at a piece of art that was hanging on the wall. It was a cartoon version of The Avengers, with Loki sitting at their feet pouting and with his hands in chains.

"So what? He is a child, there is no way in hell that he can do anything with it. It's plastic." Tex stated, her focus more on if she could afford the art piece for Loki's room and not on what he could do with the staff.

"Then why is the rubbish bin dancing along with Loki?"

"WHAT?" Tex yelled, spinning around to see Loki standing a little bit away from them with a grin on his face as the rubbish bin happily danced in front of him, his chubby hands wrapped around the staff protectively as a green mist ran up and down the staff. "Great, he's using it as a conductor..." She mumbled, walking over and scooping Loki up. "Stop it from dancing, now." She said sternly, instantly the bin fell back in to a stationary position, though it was on a slight lean as if it was bowing for its performance.

"Did you really have to do that?"

"Yes. I was bored." Loki said, wriggling in her arms to get comfy and then happily pointing the staff to the ground. "Now I'm bored and hungry." He saw that someone was walking up to them after hearing Tex yell out and instantly went back to babbling happily like any normal toddler.

"You'll be the death of me, kiddo!"

"Mamamama! Ice Cream! Ice Cream!"

Tex let out a small huff as she followed the other two to the counter to pay for their purchases, she could feel the smirk against her neck from Loki, who had snuggled his face in to her skin sweetly to try and melt her annoyance away enough to get ice cream.

* * *

"YOU SAID HIS POWERS WERE WEAK!" Tex yelled, glaring at Thor as she slammed her hands down on to the kitchen counter top. "HE MADE A RUBBISH BIN DANCE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORE!"

"Yes, that is weak." Thor said, looking at Tex like she had hit her head and lost her memory. "Did you only expect him to have green mist come off his skin, Lady Dianne?" He chuckled when she nodded, before going back to hunting down a working toaster, Tony had gone through most of them and stolen random bits and pieces once more. "No, no... He can do magic, but it is not controlled and only very weak. Only minor things, nothing to serious..."

"Serious is when he makes a bin dance in the middle of the shop!" Tex cut him off, glaring over at where Loki was sitting happily amongst building blocks and making himself a huge castle, Clint was sitting in front of him helping him to build it, reaching the places that Loki was to short to reach.

"It was just a bit of fun, Lady Dianne, I am sure he will not do it again." Thor said in a tone that made Tex back down and not speak of the subject again.

"Where is Bruce?" She asked, realising that she had not seen him since that morning at breakfast.

"Been in the lab all day." Tony said from the corner of the room where he was playing with a model train.

"You left him alone all day?"

"I have JARVIS keeping an eye on if he has used any Gamma radiation, which he hasn't."

"JARVIS, has Bruce done any of the following; cut himself to get a skin sample, used iodine in his blood system to see what it does, has he injected himself to mould to see if his body will create a better anti-biotic then penicillin?" Tex asked, her hands curling in to fists at her side as she glared up at the roof.

"Yes Miss Grey." JARVIS replied in his normal emotionless voice. "He has injected himself with mould and is taking half an hourly blood samples to see what happens, although he has been throwing up for the past hour and a half..."

"I'm going to kill you, Stark." Tex hissed.

* * *

**Songs mentioned:  
**

**Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard  
Easy Street - Annie  
Tomorrow - Annie  
Take On Me - Aha  
I Just Can't Wait To Be King - The Lion King  
My Friends - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street  
Like A Virgin - Madonna  
Cream - Prince  
Show Me How To Live - Audioslave  
Slave For You - Britney Spears  
Seize The Day - Avenged Sevenfold  
Memories - Panic! At The Disco  
Another Day - Rent  
**


	21. Chapter 21

"You are a complete and utter dick head!" Tex snapped, slamming the door to the lab open and glaring at Bruce, who was sitting on the floor throwing up in to the rubbish bin. "I don't give a shit if you found the cure to fucking _cancer _you are still an idiot!" She walked to the sink and wet some paper towel, before walking back to Bruce and crouching in front of him. "If it wasn't kicking your ass already, I would have done it!" She mumbled, wiping his sweaty face.

"I think I cracked it..." He whispered hoarsely, staring up in to her eyes with a slight crazed expression. "I just need to get the ratio right and we'll have a stronger anti-biotic!" He shakily got up to his feet with the help of a very annoyed Bruce.

"You will do no such thing you complete and utter maniac!" Tex snapped, gasping as he back handed her with enough force that she landed on the ground. "ROBERT BRUCE BANNER!" She yelled, standing up and glaring in to his eyes.

"O-oh my god..." Bruce whispered, staring down at Tex as she held a bit of paper towel to her lip, her eyes filled with anger and annoyance. "I-I'm so sorry!"

"Get to the medical bay, I'll get a SHIELD medic down to fix him up with the mould he injected." Tex snarled, staring at Tony. "Now, Stark!"

"Fine, come on." Tony said, half dragging an apologetic Bruce out of the room to the medical area of the tower, leaving Tex fuming as she stormed away to contact SHIELD about his newest psychotic experiment.

* * *

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

Bruce groaned as the obnoxious machine beeped once more, he was positive that someone had turned the volume up as loud as it could go to annoy him, and he was certain that the someone was Tony.

"Ah, and the insane doctor awakens once more." Tony's voice rang out, before a needle pierced Bruce's skin, making him gasp in pain and a green tinge appear around his face, yet the monster stayed at bay. "Yeah, you can't transform, you tried it and nearly killed yourself. Apparently mould can nearly kill you, I had to sedate Tex before she murdered the doctor for hurting you..."

"I stopped the other guy?" Bruce asked, his eyes snapping open to stare up at Tony's, a small smile appearing across his cracked and bloody lips. "I-I found a way to stop him?"

"No, you found a way to kill yourself, it took three attempts to start your heart again." Tony said, pulling the needle from his skin and placing a cotton ball over the small dot of blood. "You've been out for seven days, we actually thought we had lost you, Banner."

"I-I'm sorry..."

"I'm not the one that you should say that too."

"Where is she?"

"Getting ready for opening night of her _first ever_ Broadway show. She won't be back until way later, and before you ask, yes, you will be missing it. But don't worry, Steve is going with her."

Bruce flinched at the venom in Tony's voice and closed his eyes, a tear slipping down his cheek as he rested his head back in to the pillow, turning his face away so that Tony would not see him crying. "I'm sorry." He whispered once more, making Tony scoff and move off towards the other end. "But if I refine the ratios, I'll be able to stop him forever, Tony! I'll be safe, and be able to have a nor-"

"Safe? You think you are **safe**? You hit Tex, you get to complacent and you go insane, you get to over vexed and you turn in to a green monster. You need all three of your personalities to be _you_! If you got rid of one of them, the balance would be off completely!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" Bruce yelled, trying to get up and realising that he was attached to the bed. "LET ME GO, I AM NOT A BEAST!"

"REALLY? YOU COULD HAVE FUCKING FOOLED ME!" Tony yelled, spinning around and glaring at Bruce. "I WATCHED AS YOU TRIED TO CHANGE ON THE FLOOR, BOTH OF YOU SCREAMING IN AGONY AS STEVE HELD TEX AND LOKI AS THEY WATCHED YOU DIE AND COME BACK THREE TIMES BEFORE YOUR HEART GAVE OUT! **THREE TIMES**! THREE TIMES IT TOOK SHOCKING YOU TO BRING YOU BACK!" He gasped down lung fulls of air, trying desperately to calm down so that he could speak without punching or screaming at Bruce once more.

"Fury is looking at getting you some help, Tex says you just need something to occupy your time... I'm happy to chain you up in a room until you promise not to be a dick head once more. Until then, you can lie there and think about what you did."

"I AM NOT A CHILD!"

Tony snorted and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him to leave Bruce alone to think of what he had done, making sure that JARVIS kept a close eye on him.

* * *

Opening night had been one of the best nights of Tex's life, she was even shocked to see that her mother had showed up (though she was horrified to find that Nick Fury was her date). Her smile could not be killed, until she had walked in to the medical area of the tower, her black dress seeming to stand out even more against the white backdrop of everything.

"You are an ass hole." Tex whispered, walking to the bed and letting Bruce go from the restraints, to have him sit up and pull her in to a huge cuddle. They curled up on the bed together, her legs entwined with his as his head rested on her chest, her fingers gently playing with his curls.

"I found a way to stop him..." Bruce whispered, nuzzling against her in fear. "But it nearly killed me, I could have left you and Loki alone, unprotected... Please don't tell me SHIELD knows how to kill me, please!" His hands fisted against the silk of her dress, making Tex pull him closer.

"No, they just know that an experiment went wrong, but you destroyed the paperwork before we could find it..." Tex whispered, closing her eyes as the tears fell down her cheeks. "Why didn't you talk to me, Bruce? You don't have to go through this alone, I'm here Bruce, I'm here and I'm not leaving. Please, let me in."

"I can't." Bruce whispered, staring up at her as her tears fell on to her dress and mingled with his own. "I can't trust myself..."

"Then let _me_ trust you!"

"I'm going back to Cal-"

"No you are not, Bruce. You are staying here and helping me protect Loki!"

"You want someone like _me _near the child?"

"Yes."

"You are insane."

"That makes both of us, my love."

Bruce huffed and nuzzled back against her, smiling as she pulled the blanket over them, cradling him against her as she closed her eyes and relaxed in to the soft mattress. "I turned in to my father." He mumbled, a sob escaping his lips as he held her even closer.

"You won't be him for long, Bruce. We'll get help, I promise we'll get help..." Tex said, more tears spilling out of her eyes as she clung to him. "We'll be a family, I promise, we'll be a family..."

* * *

**To the person who found this story and freaked out over how Bruce is. Sorry! I forgot to add that it would be dark!Bruce in the story summery. But you know, Surprise! -sheepish grin-**


	22. Chapter 22

**This chapter is for those of you who love Clint and Fi! **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

"I AM GOING TO SHAKE MY TITTYS AT SOMEONE AND THEN STAB THEM, WHO WANTS TO COME WATCH!"

"I'M GRABBING MY COAT RIGHT NOW!"

"BRING CONDOMS, I MIGHT NEED THEM!"

"OH YEAH!"

"CLINT, IF MY HAIRBRUSH IS IN ONE OF YOUR NESTS ONCE MORE I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"IT'S IN THE ONE ABOVE TONY'S ROOM, FI!"

"I FUCKING HATE YOU!"

"**SHUT UP GUYS! IT'S TEN PM! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!**"

* * *

"Does anyone know what time Fi and Clint got home?" Tex asked, her hair wrapped up in a towel as she moved through the kitchen to get Loki his breakfast. "Loki stop making the toaster run away from me before I give you dry bread for breakfast! Thank you." She grabbed the toaster and placed it on the bench, ignoring it's yelp of protest as she plugged it in.

"I don't think they got home." Bruce said, sighing as Tony walked out and took the paper from his hands, gloating to Pepper that he had made the front page once again. "Yes Tony, you made the front page, now give it back so I can read it!"

"You were only reading Garfield comics, that doesn't count as properly reading the paper!" Tony shot back, grinning at the Doctor before handing the paper back to him. "At least they got my good side."

"Yes, Wouldn't want to see your bad side..." Tex mumbled with a roll of her eyes as Pepper laughed. "But seriously, where the heck did Clint and Fi go after her mission?"

"God knows." Steve mumbled, staggering in with a glare at Thor, who was limping slightly. "Tony, the wall needs to be fixed in the training room again... Someone forgot that we do not chuck friends through the wall!"

"You would make your ancestors proud with those fighting skills, Steve!" Thor rumbled, as Jane kissed his cheek and handed him a plate of Pop tarts.

"Yes, but I am sure they are not the ones sporting the bruises." Steve mumbled, wincing when he sat down to take the cup of coffee off Pepper with a mumbled thanks. "So... Are we going to talk about what happened between Tex and Bruce yet?" He asked, flinching when the others glared at him. "Fine, I'm just saying, we need to sort it out before we need to fight together."

"Tex will not be fighting!" Bruce snarled, glaring at Tex when she snorted in laughter. "You won't fight, Tex! You will protect Loki whilst we fight."

"My mum is dating Nick Fury, I'll do as I am told." Tex said, placing the plate of toast in front of Loki and ignoring the toaster which had started to dance once more.

"Ew! Imagine calling him dad!" Tony said, shuddering and dodging the knife that Tex playfully flicked at him.

"ASSAULT! YOU ALL SAW IT!" He yelled, laughing hysterically as Pepper groaned and walked away to start her working day, before he trailed after her happily.

* * *

Fi groaned, the sun was spilling over her face from the open curtains, a breeze gently blowing the lace back and forth, as well as a curl that was tickling across her forehead. Her head was pounding as if Thor had punched her in the temple, and thighs felt like she had given them the best work out ever. Her mind was blurry as she tried to desperately remember what had happened last night, but it soon snapped back to the present when she realised she was naked under a sheet with an arm wrapped around her waist.

_Oh fuck! Oh fuck, fuck, fuck... FUCK! _She thought, to scared to turn her head to the side and see who the hell was cuddling her. She guessed it was a male from the feel of their privates brushing against her thigh, but her mind could not remember who it was. The last thing she had remembered was having Clint do a body shot of Tequila off her and then both of them doing a string of drinks called The Avengers.

Finally getting the courage to look to the side, she let out a small breath of relief when she spotted Clint, his face snuggled in to the pillow and his hand fisted in to the sheet as he slept soundly. She frowned as she saw the gold band glittering off his left ring finger, before sitting up and staring at her own hand. "Oh my god!" She whispered as she stared down at the gold band. "Clint!" She hissed, quickly shaking him, ignoring the string of curse words that he gave her. "Look at your ring finger, you cock!"

"What's wrong with it...?" He mumbled sleepily, picking his head up enough to look at the band before letting out another string of curse words. "That better be you, Fi."

"No, it's Maria Hill." Fi grumbled, making Clint quickly glance at her before he put his head back against the pillow. "I do believe we fucked up..." She added, laughing softly as he flipped her off.

"Fuck off. Hung over."

"I'll get you a pain killer..." She stretched out as he let her waist go and then got out of bed, quickly getting dressed she dug through her hand bag to find her pain killers, before filling a glass of water at the sink and placing it next to his head on the bedside table before going to have a shower.

* * *

"HOLY FUCK!" Tony screamed, pausing the tv on the gossip show. "GUYS GET IN HERE NOW!" He yelled, waiting three minutes for the Avengers to assemble and Pepper and Jane to make their way in. "You are not going to believe this!" He said, pressing play and sitting back to see his friends faces.

"_It is reported that last night Avenger member, Hawkeye and an unnamed woman got married at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas. The two love birds were seen doing shots in a bar before doing a string of drinks nick named The Avengers and then spotted heading towards the wedding chapel, laughing and kissing. There has been no official word from The Avengers camp as to what this is, but it seems that saving the world has given Hawkeye a desire for a **new **adventure. Sorry girls, looks like only Captain America remains to sink your teeth in to..."_

"THEY DID WHAT?" Natasha yelled, her voice taking on a slight accent in her anger. "I AM GOING TO KILL HIM! I AM GOING TO STRING HIM UP AND CUT HIM TO PIECES!"

"What? Do you like him?" Jane asked, looking confused when Natasha laughed and shook her head.

"He just better not be thinking of using her as a partner instead of me." Natasha replied after her laughter had subsided. "When they come home, no one act like they know, I want to see what they do." She added, looking around as the group nodded.

"Guess we weren't the ones to elope..." Tex said, laughing when Bruce gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Well, that means we can still beat Pepper and Tony down the aisle."

"We're not getting married!" Both Pepper and Tony snapped at the same time, huffing when the others just laughed.

* * *

Clint walked in to the tower, his jacket slung over one arm as he grinned at the others. "Sorry, mission took a little longer then expected." He said, the lie coming from his mouth without any hassle. "Fi is on her way up now, she just had to drop her bloody clothes off in the laundry. I'm going to go have a shower." Before anyone could say anything he had walked off, but not before the others noticed the ring on his finger.

"Honey, I'm home!" Fi yelled, grinning as Loki squealed happily and run to get a cuddle. "Hey little man, at least someone is happy to see me!" She laughed as she scooped him up on to her hip. Looking around at the others she frowned as they each gave her a knowing look before turning back to what ever they were doing.

"So, Fi. Did you enjoy last night?" Tony asked, smirking at her softly. "From what we heard, things got a little _hard_."

"It was ok, an easy kill once I got him alone." Fi said, frowning when Steve blushed and Tony sniggered. "You know the kind, one flash and they go to their knees with cash in their hands..."

"Yes, I am sure he went down _fast_..." Tony said, making Steve blush harder and Tex glare at him. "Then again, he always seemed to be a _talented _one..."

"Tony!" Pepper snapped, making Tony stop with the comments and go back to trying to teach Thor how to use the tv remote without destroying it by pressing the buttons to hard.

"One last thing." He said, spinning around and grinning at Fi. "At least tell me he brought you a drink first."

"No, he didn't have a chance. I had him down on his knees and begging before he could even contemplate it." Fi said, grinning happily at the memory of the kill. "Quick and easy, just like I like them. Why are you laughing, Stark?"

"He's just had some happy pills." Natasha said, smiling at Fi in a way that made Fi fearful to show her back to the Russian. "I'm glad you enjoyed your first American kill, I am sure Fury will use you more..."

"I hope so, I can't just sit around here doing fuck all waiting for aliens to hunt this one down."

"I'm sure you'll be fucking at least _someone_!" Tony said, making Pepper hit him. "What I meant is..."

"Director Fury would like to speak to the newly Mr and Mrs Barton. Now." JARVIS's voice cut across Tony, making Fi stare up at the roof

"Fuck..." She mumbled, placing Loki down and walking out of the room to collect Clint and go find their punishments for the way they acted.

"Alaska?" Tony asked, before taking bets on where they were going to be sent, ignoring the glare that Pepper and Tex were sending him.

* * *

**For those of you who are old enough to drink and wish to do the set of Drinks known as The Avengers, hunt down the site avengersdrink and it tells you how to make them. They only equal 3 shots in alcohol content, but Clint and Fi were doing more drinks before them, so don't worry, doing the shots will not make you drunkenly wed Hawkeye. Sorry :D**


	23. Chapter 23

**Ok guys, just a quick note;**

**I am getting so much love for Clint and Fi that my muse and plot bunnies have decided to start on a story for them, so look out for it, it doesn't have a title yet, but it will be awesome!**

**I'm having a lot of trouble on this story at the moment, my mind can not pick which path it wants to go on, so I'm giving it a break.**

**So keep your eyes open for the Clint and Fi story which will be coming soon, and I hope you guys won't mind the break this story is taking.**

**Xoxo,**

**Jabberwocky**

**PS: Also, don't get a major concussion, I have one at the moment and it's not fun! :(**


	24. Chapter 24

**I would like to point out that major concussion does not mean you are well enough to make plans on stories. Also my muse kicked my ass about the whole Fi and Clint thing and ignoring this story. And so here is the next chapter;**

* * *

"What the hell does this mean?" Bruce yelled, staring down at the results with a glare. He tried his hardest to ignore Tex as she took one of the tablets that Tony and Bruce had developed that helped with the radiation poisoning that she was getting from him at the moment. "A week ago they were normal and now they've built up again!"

"I told you what you had to do." Tex said, placing the pill bottle on the table and staring at him. Her hair had been dyed jet black and she had a weave placed in it to bring it down to her hips. Bruce hated it with every bone in his body and wanted nothing more then to rip it off and let her go back to her natural brown colour. "I don't see why you are so against it, and right now I'm so curious I want to piss you off and just let him destroy Harlem again!"

Bruce ignored the grumble that came from the back of his mind as he moved towards Tex, before pausing and moving away from her once more. "You know I can't do that..." He started, but Tex cut him off with a hit to his arm. He had forgotten just how fast she could move when she wanted to.

"Don't you start that shit with me! Loki has hit the terrible stage of toddlers and Tony is not helping it, in three hours I'm stuck on a plane with Tony to go to a charity event, the last thing I need is you to turn all... mph!" She was cut off by Bruce's lips slamming against hers in a heated kiss. She let out a small grunt of discomfort when the doctor slammed her against the wall and her head hit it, pressing her hands against his chest she gently pushed him away.

"You know that isn't going to wo-"

Tex sighed as his lips once again silenced her, his hands holding her waist lovingly as his thumbs brushed over the exposed skin from her shirt riding up. The kiss turned from dominating to a more lazy and slow kiss, which once again Tex pushed away from, glaring in to the doctors eyes as he smirked at her.

"Every time you want me to shut up..." She finished her interrupted sentence with a small huff. "Bruce please, we have the ability to test this, just once let me..." She placed her forehead against his, a small laugh bubbling out at the fact that she was taller then him, and she wasn't even wearing heels. "Short ass."

"Aussie pain in the ass."

"Does that mean you'll do it?"

"Over my dead body..."

"Keep up this radiation level and it will be over _my _dead body."

"Once and once only! I want the whole area secure and you and Tony will be the only ones allowed anywhere near it, understand?"

"I knew you'd see sense!" Tex whispered, brushing her lips over his lovingly. "Everything will work out fine, now if you don't mind I have to go stop our son from destroying everything and... what is that look for...?"

"You said our son..." Bruce said, a small blush on his cheeks. "Our son, like I actually have a... ow! Fine, go save the house and be Tony's princess. I'll get everything set up for what you'll need..." He backed away, rubbing his arm from where she hit him.

~!~

"Loki we do not bring a dinosaur in to the house." Tex said, crouching down in front of Loki, who was standing protectively in front of a Microceratus, which had just happened to appear in the living area after somebody (Tex had money on Tony) had given Loki a book on dinosaurs.

"Pet!" Loki said happily as he stroked the dinosaurs beak lovingly. "You said I could get a pet!"

"Yes, a dog or a cat or even a fish, not bring back a dinosaur from god knows when! Oh god Bruce is going to kill me!"

"He only eats plants!" Loki argued, as if that made the whole difference between the dinosaur being bad and good. "I got one that eat plants!"

"JARVIS, can you please tell Tony to get his ass here before I murder him." Tex said, looking up at the roof before staring back down at the dinosaur, which was happily walking around on only two feet and inspecting things. "Oh look, it walks on two feet, how adorable. Seriously, Loki?"

"Yes Mrs Banner." JARVIS replied, falling silent for a few minutes before adding. "Mr Stark is on his way, he just needs to put on his suit for some protection..."

"Oh JARVIS that is not going to be enough!" Tex snapped, grabbing Loki and pulling him away from the dinosaur, which was happily munching on the bunch of flowers that she had brought the other day. "Great, there goes my Tulips."

"They were ugly anyway..." Loki said, before shutting up when Tex glared down at him.

"Mrs Banner, Loki Banner how can I... Why the fuck is there a... Is that a dinosaur?" Tony asked, stopping dead about three steps away from the elevator. "Oh my god, did Bruce manage to clone a dinosaur? That is so awesome! We can start up our own Jurassic Park, of course it will be a much better and safer design as I'll design it myself! None of those security risks from the novel would even come _near _my park! Oh this is going to be... Why aren't you smiling Tex?"

"Loki honey, tell Mr Stark how the dinosaur managed to get in to the living room..." Tex said, letting go of Loki's hand, who instantly ran over to his new 'pet' and hugged it.

"I made him from the book!" Loki said proudly, before pointing to the dinosaur book that lay on the ground. "Mama said I could have a pet, so I got one that I wanted." He added, grinning happily as the dinosaur continued to munch on the flowers.

"And what the hell is this dinosaur?" Tony asked, smiling when JARVIS replied.

"The dinosaur in question is a small Microceratus, which is a species of small ceratopsian dinosaur. It lived in the Cretaceous period in Asia. The Microceratus walks on its hind legs, instead of on all four and has small front arms. It also has the characteristic ceratopsian frill and beak like mouth. It will grow to only two feet tall, this one should have another half foot to grow before it reaches full height. It was one of the first ceratopsians, or horned dinosaurs, along with _Psittacosaurus_ in Mongolia. It's diet consists of ferns, cycads and also conifers of that period, though it does seem to enjoy Mrs Banner's Tulips. In popular culture the species has been seen in the movie Dinosaur by Disney and also the novel Jurassic Park."

"Loki honey..." Tex said, turning around and flinching when she saw Loki with his arm around the dinosaur. "Can you please put the dinosaur back in the book before daddy finds out? Or Director Fury, I'm still trying to work out which one would be worse..."

"No! You said I could have a pet! I got a pet!" Loki said, clinging to the dinosaur, which made a loud rumbling sound before going back to snuffling around for food. "His name is Plod!"

"And Plod is an amazing name for a dinosaur!" Tony said, clapping his hands together like a child. "JARVIS, find out every single remaining fern, cycads and conifer species remaining from that time period and get some sent over here. Also set up Loki's room to be the temperature and humidity that this little guy needs to survive in."

"NO!" Tex yelled, spinning around and glaring at Tony's retreating back after JARVIS had given a 'yes sir'. "He is not keeping a bloody dinosaur in the tower as a pet! I'm his mother!"

"Technically you're not." Tony said with a smirk, which fell from his face when he saw Tex's face fall. "Ok, that was off... OW YOU JUST THREW A KNIFE IN TO MY ARM!"

"YOU FUCKING DESERVED IT!" Tex said, tears falling from her eyes in a rare display of emotion. "Go to the lab and Bruce will fix you up, then you can help him set up for a meeting with the other guy to do some tests I need to do. Now get out of my sight before I stab you in a more private part then your arm!"

"Mama..." Loki looked over at her, ignoring the dinosaur that was nudging him happily to get more lettuce. "Are you ok...? Why are you crying?" He hurried over to her and snuggled on to her lap, hugging her tightly around the neck. "You are my mama." He said, kissing her cheek. "At least you wanted me."

"Oh Loki..." Tex whispered, holding him tightly before letting out a giggle when the dinosaur nudged her. "Plod?"

"Yep! Do you think Daddy will make him a collar so I can take him for a walk?"

"No honey, you can't take your dinosaur for a walk, people will get scared."

"Stupid people."

"Loki!"

"... Stupid people!"

* * *

**Before any of you ask, yes Loki now has a real pet dinosaur! I was trying to figure out how to show case just how powerful he is but with the child like innocence, and so I came up with Plod. Also looking at IMDB for how tall the actor who played Bruce is, I burst in to laughter at the fact that he is only 5'8 and since starting this story Tex has always had my height, which is just over 5'10. **

**So yes, she is taller then him.  
**

**And of course, Tony's line was not meant to hurt her, he just spoke without thinking, but I think the little bit between Tex and Loki at the end of the chapter really shows where they stand in their relationship. In Loki's eyes, Tex is his mother and Bruce is his father, and nothing is going to change that.**

**Next chapter will have Tex meeting Hulk for the very first time! Terrified to write it, but it must be done for the story to continue!**

**Xoxo,**

**Jabberwocky.**


	25. Chapter 25

**So, here we are, the big moment. Tex meets Hulk for the first time, I hope you guys like it. This chapter wouldn't have happened without the epically awesome The First Step. Go read her story, like seriously read it, it's one of the best Loki stories I have ever found! Plus it contains Loki's son, Fenrir. If that doesn't make you want to read it, I don't know what will :D  
**

* * *

"A dinosaur, Loki now has a pet dinosaur?" Bruce asked, staring at Tex who was chewing on her thumb nail in worry as she watched the scenery pass by as the car drove out to the secure location. "And you didn't think that it would be a good thing to tell me _before _we got in the car?"

"You wouldn't have come if I told you before you got in the car..." Tex said, not looking at him in guilt as she continued to stare out the window. "How much of your memories does the other guy have?"

"Tex, you've studied him for eight years, now you get to meet him. Don't play dumb now." Bruce said, his voice slightly more aggressive then what he would have liked. "I still think this is going to result in your death and the other guy going insane and hurting someone else..."

Tex snorted softly before staring at him once more, taking her thumb nail away from her mouth. "I like how I die and someone else just gets hurt." She rested her head against the window, staying away from physically touching him so that she didn't get any more radiation poisoning from him. "It will be fine, Bruce. I have science and research behind me."

"You're screwed." Bruce said simply, glancing at her before letting out a sigh and looking out his own window. The drive was not long enough for Bruce's liking, it seemed only ten minutes after they had pulled out of the tower that they were already at their destination, though he knew it was over an hour and a half away.

"It's so bare, are you sure it's secure?" He asked, glancing at Tony, who had been silently sitting across from them reading a dinosaur book to see what else he could get Loki to magic out in to the real world.

"You said you just wanted Tex and myself here." Tony said, glancing up at them. "So it's just us, but it is very secure. Thor, Clint, Natasha, Fi and Steve are hidden around here, we haven't let SHIELD know, so we will have to be quick in case they catch on to us. I don't trust Fury as far as I could throw the bastard, so he will be last to know."

"And I have all the stuff I need here." Tex said, patting the medical bag at her feet. "I just need the samples, and then I can let him do what ever it is that large, green people do and just observe him before you come back. Simple as that!"

"What is that paper on your lap?" Bruce asked, pointing to the large pile of paper on Tex's lap that he had just realised she was flicking through.

"A script for another Broadway play." Tex said grinning at him happily. "It's for _Rock Of Ages, _they are looking for some chorus members, so I'm just having a look."

"Cool. And who is watching Loki and Plod?"

"Pepper, Darcy and Jane."

"Show time my dears!" Tony said, stepping out of the car, the briefcase that contained the Iron Man suit was in his hand and the sight of it made Bruce feel slightly better. Looking around the empty field he felt the other guy press further in to the front of his head, wanting to get out and explore.

"Be safe Dianne. Leave if it gets to..." Bruce was cut off by Tex pressing a desperate kiss to his lips, bringing her hands to cling to his shirt as he wrapped his arms around her. "No more, to much radiation." He mumbled against her lips, pulling away and moving away from them.

"Well, get ready to meet him."

* * *

The transformation was one of the worst things that Tex had ever had to watch Bruce go through, the way his body twisted in pain and grew was enough to make her turn her head away and look at the ground, trying to ignore the small yell that turned in to a roar. Her whole body shook in terror as she moved her eyes from the patch of grass and looked up in to the face of the Hulk. Who had moved to be standing right in front of her and peering down in to her face, trying to remember who she was. Tony was already in the Iron Man suit and leaning against a tree, trying to keep himself out of the way as much as possible, just like Tex had asked him to.

"Hello." Tex said, staring up in to Hulk's eyes. "I'm Tex... We haven't met before, but I know lots about you..." Her voice was calm and level, even though inside she were churning in nerves as he looked her up and down.

"**Tall." **Hulk said, pressing his finger against the top of her head with a small frown. **"Betty small. Tex tall."**

"Yes, I'm taller then Betty." Tex said, frowning softly as Hulk removed his finger and stood up to his full height in a stretch, looking around the area with a confused frown.

"**Tex set trap for Hulk?"**

"What? No! No trap for Hulk!" Tex quickly said, moving to stand next to him and stare up in to his face so he could see she wasn't lying. "No trap for Hulk, Tex just wanted to talk to you."

"**Tex talk to Hulk?"**

"Yes. Bruce is sick, I know you can feel it..."

"**He lock Hulk up! He no like Hulk!"**

"He's a dick head sometimes, but he is a nice guy!"

"**Dickhead?"**

_Oh yeah, just made Hulk swear! _Tex thought, letting out a small giggle, which made Hulk let out a gruff sound that she realised was his laughter. "I need to know something, Hulk. I need to take a sample from you. It won't hurt, will you let me?"

"**People said that to Hulk before, and it always hurts!" **Hulk said, glaring down at Tex, who quickly placed a hand on his arm.

"I'll do it on myself, to show that it won't hurt Hulk." She said, giving his arm a squeeze before moving back to her bag. "Watch." She said, pulling out a small Geiger meter and running it over her body, listening to the way it beeped, letting her know that she had gotten a little to much radiation from Bruce.

"**That all it does?"**

"Yep! Can you sit down so I can do it please? I may be tall, but you are taller."

The ground shook as Hulk sat down and watched her, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as she moved in front of him. "It's just going to beep." She said, moving the meter over him as it went wild. "It's telling me how much radiation you have on your skin, which is very, very high..." She continued, thinking it best to explain to him what she was doing. "I need to know so I can see how much radiation Bruce has compared to you." She moved away from him and marked down the results.

"The radiation is what created you." She looked up at the Hulk, who was staring at her with the same expression Loki wore when he wanted to know more and learn something new. "When you were hit by the bomb and were created... You took all the radiation, it seems that the more you are out, the less radiation Bruce lets off in his body. It's like you are two different beings..." She frowned as she dug through her bag and pulled out a small skin scraper.

"Hulk, I want to take a small scraping of your skin, it's not going to hurt." She moved to stand in front of him once more. "Here, watch I'll do it on myself." She rolled up her sleeve and gently took a skin scrapping on the underside of her arm, looking up at Hulk who was still staring at her with a curious look. "See, no pain!" She grinned, which Hulk returned and held out his arm.

Cleaning the tool she quickly took the sample from his arm and placed it in a Petri dish to keep it safe. "There we go, now I can test that against one from Bruce and I'll see what I get." She paused as she stared up at him. "Do you two have the same DNA strands I wonder? What's so different between the two of you, minus the body and mind...?' The thoughts of being able to test the Hulk was getting a bit to much for Tex's brain, and she had to force herself to settle down.

"**Tex done?" **Hulk asked, peering down at her as she dug through her bag once more.

"Can you bleed?" Tex asked, turning around and staring up at him. "Can anything pierce your skin?" She moved to gently run her hands over his arm, feeling how strong his skin was compared to a normal humans skin, once again noting everything down in her mind to write out in a report when they got back to the tower.

"**No. Hulk doesn't hurt easy. But Hulk can bleed." **He moved his arm out of her grasp and bit it, before showing it back to her with a bite mark in it. Blood that was slightly tainted a dark green colour pooled in the teeth marks, making her quickly collect some in a test tube (After putting on some gloves, which made Hulk laugh when they made a snapping sound). She grabbed a bandage and started to wrap up the wound so it wouldn't get infected, hoping that when he turned back in to Bruce the bite wound shrunk as well, otherwise it would take up most of his arm.

"**Puny god." **Hulk said, making Tex frown as she looked up at him. **"Puny god is little."**

'Oh! Loki! Yes, he is a child now. I look after him with Bruce." Tex said after thinking for a few minutes to try and remember what 'puny god' meant. "It was his punishment."

"**Hulk smash puny god!"**

"No!" Tex said, moving away when Hulk stood up and glared up at him. "No you will not smash, Loki! Loki is a child, Hulk does not smash children!"

"**Hulk like children! Children little and not scared of Hulk."**

"I'm not scared of Hulk."

"**Do you love Bruce? Betty loved Bruce but he left her. Bruce leave you?"**

"I won't let him leave me. And yes, I love Bruce. I'm here until one of us dies, hopefully not for a long, long time."

"**Bruce loves Tex. But he shy."**

"It's ok, Tex knows Bruce loves her."

"**Hulk like Tex! Like Hulk likes smash!"**

"I'm glad that Hulk likes Tex..." She paused as Hulk pressed his finger against her stomach gently, trying to figure out what the hell he was doing. "Erm... Hulk?"

"**Tex no have children?" **Hulk asked, pressing his finger in to her stomach once again.

_He's asking if I'm pregnant? THIS IS AMAZING! _Tex tried to calm her racing, excited heart as her brain spun with the possibilities of just how intelligent Hulk was, and how much he knew of Bruce's wants and dreams. "No, I'm not carrying a baby." She said, watching as Hulk frowned. "Why would Hulk ask Tex that?"

"**Bruce wants Tex to have baby... But Bruce doesn't want Tex to know..." **Hulk let out a chuckle and pressed his finger to his lips. **"Secret! Tex no tell!"**

"Tex won't tell. Tex promises."

The rest of the time that Tex was near Hulk was spent watching as he explored his surroundings, before being pulled in to a sparring match with Thor, which Tex could tell he enjoyed more then anything that had happened that afternoon. Once Thor was squished under a tree and Hulk was grinning like a child on Christmas, he slowly turned back in to Bruce.

"Got what you wanted?" Tony asked her on the way home as Bruce (who was now emitting barely any radiation once more) was curled up with his head in Tex's lap sleeping, his hand clinging to hers.

"Yes, and so much more Tony." Tex said, she couldn't help the giant smile that was on her face, even though her cheeks were starting to hurt from it. "So much more. When we get back, I'll get this one to bed under strict bed rest for the rest of the day and I'll then go to the lab and start testing these samples and writing up the report..."

"Tex... Has Bruce hit you since the first time he did it?" Tony asked, his voice soft and slow as he tried to place the question to her without sounding like he was judging.

"No, he hasn't. But his nightmares are starting to get worse once more. He choked me last night in a flash black to one of Ross's men trying to grab him in his sleep." Tex said with a small sigh, running her fingers through Bruce's hair lovingly. "I was thinking of trying to find a relaxant that would work on his body, but for now it's green tea and breathing exercises. Luckily my accent helps with the flashbacks, Odin help us when that vanishes."

"How does it help?"

"I don't sound like the men and women that hunted him, he can cling to my accent and claw himself out of the flash back. It's a slow process, but it is starting to get quicker. He just needs to hang in there a little longer until they go away again. I was thinking of taking him and Loki out to the zoo tomorrow, a family day out..."

"Your first one, do you want me to give you some extra security against the paparazzi?"

"Don't worry, I have Steve coming with us to experience a twenty first century zoo. He's curious to see what has been discovered since he was frozen, and also how zoos run now a days. He said he is sad that Loki will not get to ride on an elephant, but I guess we'll just have to travel for Loki to experience that. I'm sure Bruce would like to get back to India, he really loves that place."

"And what about Loki's magic? I don't want anything turning green or such..." Tony said, with a small frown. "Ah, you didn't think about that? Don't worry, I'll get Pepper to close the zoo for the morning for The Avengers to come out with their partners without people annoying us."

"No, don't." Tex said, making Tony look at her like she was mental. "Loki needs to learn how to behave in public, and I think it's time for our family to put those rumours to rest about who my partner is and who is Loki's father. He can't hide forever, and nor can I."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Not really, but it needs to be done. We've been avoiding it for so long, it's time we face what our lives have become since the attack on New York." Tex let her fingers play with Bruce's curls a little more, smiling at the calm expression on her partners face. "And anyway, I want to scope the zoo out for a zoo wedding."

Tex couldn't hide the smirk when Tony choked on air and stared at her like she had honestly lost her head in the excitement of meeting Hulk.


	26. Chapter 26

**Oh my gosh, I'm over 200 reviews! Woo hoo! -fist pump- This is just amazing, the most reviews I have ever gotten! -hands you all cookies- I hope you enjoy the rest of the story as much as you've enjoyed the first part. :D**

* * *

"There you are!" Tony said, walking in to the kitchen and grinning at Bruce, who was leaning against the table and reading something on a hand held tablet. "I went to the lab and nearly got murdered by your... Erm... Tex. And she said you were banned from the lab but spying on her results... Someone seems to have ants in their pants." He sat down next to Bruce and started to read over his shoulders, not surprised to see that Bruce was reading the results as Tex typed them in to the main computer.

"Yeah, she hates the city." Bruce said, not looking up from the results that were being put in as he took a sip of tea. "I'm amazed it's taken this long for her to get like this, normally she'd have sent me twenty emails complaining about the smelly air, the noise, lack of stars and kangaroos... I'm even contemplating letting her go off with Clint and his mates to go deer hunting. But I guess that's what changes when you meet someone, you don't get the constant emails like you used to..."

"Things changed that much?" Tony asked, getting up to make himself a cup of coffee. He had promised Pepper that whilst Bruce was still fighting inner demons that he had to cut his alcohol intake down as much as possible. He had managed to cut it down to only one scotch a day, and that was normally drunk in bed whilst listening to Pepper calling other CEOs some delightfully colourful names.

"Yes and no." Bruce put the tablet down and watched Tony, handing him his cup when he was asked if he would like another tea. "I guess it's weird, but it seems since we've been in the same house, we haven't been talking like we used to. I don't get random pictures or three sentences of very, very dirty Indonesian and then a PS in English asking if I am blushing yet. I guess I don't know how to incorporate that in to every day life when you are not talking over the internet..." He took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose, not knowing why he was telling this to Tony. "And it feels like that little spark of Tex that I adored so much is gone."

"You know, that could be because she has a kid now..." Tony placed the cup of tea in front of Bruce and took the bar stool next to him once again, sipping at his own coffee. "I mean, they are meant to change everything..."

"No, Loki hasn't changed her at all. He's just given her someone else to mother instead of me..." He chuckled softly as he ran his finger around the rim of his cup, watching as more results came on to the tablet. "I don't know how to explain it, Tony. But you saw her when she arrived here, she was fiery, sarcastic and she was the woman I knew. Now, now she's domesticated!"

"Sir, Mrs Banner would like me to inform you that she broke one of your pieces of equipment, but in her defence it was being a bitch and completely deserved it." JARVIS said, making Tony raise his eyebrow in question towards Bruce.

"Ok, not that domesticated..."

* * *

Five hours.

It had taken her five hours to get the sample up to where it could safely go in to the machine to begin analysing the DNA strands and how much radiation was in each on, and the machine had deemed it contaminated and destroyed it.

She had missed Loki losing his first tooth for nothing more then a smouldering Petri dish that used to contain Hulk's blood and a broken analyser. Taking a deep breath she pushed the glasses from her face, up in to her hair and started to get to work once more. Her hands were slightly shaking in anger as she worked with the last part of Hulk's blood that she had.

"Now I'm going to have to do it the hard way!" She mumbled, completely ignoring the door as it slid open and then shut. She knew that Bruce wouldn't come down when she was in this mood, because it would probably end up with her being held upside down by Hulk as she swore in every language she could remember.

"Man, you need to get laid..."

"Piss. Off. Tony." Tex glared at the older man before going back to her experiment, ignoring the beeping of the computer as Bruce pulled another file on to his tablet to read. She was in half the mind to encrypt one of the folders with a picture of her boobs just to spite him.

"I mean, I know the whole radioactive thing is a bitch, but come on! Both of you are so tense. And you stabbed me in the arm, so you owe me one! Take one for the team as the young ones say!" Tony ignored her as he moved around the room, poking and inspecting her many experiments and analyses she had running around the lab. "And Loki is asleep, so now is the best time to go fu-" He quickly crouched down as a scalpel came flying at him in a half hearted attempt of injuring him.

"You've found he has no traces of radiation again, haven't you?" He asked as he stood up, watching as Tex groaned loudly and pulled the safety glasses from her face and slammed them on the desk. Besides her the computer was already running an outdated DNA replica scan on Hulk's blood so that it wouldn't freak out that it contained radiation.

"Just because I have, does not mean that I am going to go out to the kitchen, grab his wrist and drag him in to the bedroom like some cave woman!" She snapped, placing her arms across her chest in a defensive pose. Tony could see the very small blush that was starting to appear on her cheeks, a strange sight to behold on a woman he thought was incapable of feeling embarrassment.

"Are you shy...?"

"Fuck off, Tony!"

"Oh my god you are shy of what the doctor thinks of you being naked!" Tony grinned happily and moved a little closer to her, making sure that there was nothing pointy and sharp within her reach. "Tell me, have you guys done anything other then kissing?" He caught the blush before she turned her back on him to check on the computer program.

"Oh this is just precious! Loo-"

"Just because Fi can flirt herself around the world does not mean I can!" Tex snapped, spinning around and glaring at him openly. "My sex life is my own..."

"Are you a virgin?" Tony asked, cutting across her.

"W-w-what? What kind of question is that?" Tex asked, spluttering as she tried to regain some composure. "Tony, that is personal and I am not answering it. Now leave before I turn you in to a rat!" She placed the safety glasses back on her face and turned towards another experiment.

"You are! Oh my god, you are a virgin! Does Bruce know? Dude!"

Tex groaned and placed her head on her arms, knowing that Tony wasn't going to leave her alone unless she either dragged his sorry ass out of the lab or she just spoke to him. For a pain in the back with no sense of boundaries, Tony was an amazing friend and also a great listener.

"No, I'm not a virgin. Yes, I'm to shy to do anything more then just kiss him because I don't want to be pushed away. Yes, he has no radiation on him at the moment apart from what you would get from using random things around the house like a microwave and a mobile... I don't know how long it will last, but it will probably only be this low for tonight."

"You mean to tell me that this is the only time for god knows how long that it will be safe for you to do anything more then kiss him for a few seconds? And you have locked yourself up in the lab? Oh hell no!" Tony grabbed Tex's arm, making her squeak in shock as he started to drag her out of the room.

"JARVIS, get Natasha to meet me in the closet on the third floor. The one that she uses for undercover mission wardrobes." Tony said, making Tex start to try and wriggle away from him even more.

"Yes sir."

"If you do what I think you are going to do, I swear to god I will murder you!" Tex hissed, grunting in pain as Tony 'accidentally' hit her against the wall gently to get her to stop wriggling before moving to continue to the wardrobe.

"He won't know what hit him!"

"You won't know what hit you once I'm done with you!"

* * *

"This is hard seeing as she is so much taller then me..." Natasha said, glaring at Tony who was still having to hold Tex by both arms to stop her from sprinting out of the room screaming 'save me!'. "But I know I have something, one of the other women I work with is the same height and build as her. Give me a second."

As soon as Natasha had walked away, Tex started to wriggle once more, trying desperately to get out of Tony's grip. "Can't you just bug your own sex life?" She snapped, finally stopping when she realised nothing was going to get her out of this.

"Oh stop it you, I know you want this." Tony said, laughing softly as Tex blushed and let out a huff. "You need to let people help you, Tex. Even if its embarrassing, believe me, once we are done, Bruce won't know what hit him!"

Twenty minutes later Tex actually had to agree with Tony, her black hair was put up in a bun, with curls framing her face. Her eyes were lined with water proof (She will never repeat what Tony said about water proof make up to another living soul) eye liner and there was only a small hint of lip gloss on her lips. But it wasn't what they had done with her appearance that had shocked her, it was what they had done with her body.

She had never been a skinny woman, no matter how much she trained and worked out, she was still very curvy, according to Natasha (who spoke as she dressed her, yelling at her for hiding such a beautiful body in jeans and boots), she had an hour glass figure. And right now that figure was squished in to a green corset and a mini skirt, fish net stockings covered her legs and a black garter with a clear diamond was on her right thigh.

"Really Tony?" Tex asked, laughing softly when she finally realised why he had picked those clothes out of the whole rack.

"Green corset, all about him. Clear diamond, no one died to make you this beautiful. That's your code isn't it?" Tony asked, grinning as Tex blushed softly. "And now, go to your room and I'll send Bruce in there soon. And if you even contemplate changing, Natasha will put you through hand to hand combat training tomorrow!"

"Fine! Jesus, this was all for nothing you know." Tex said, throwing her arms up in annoyance and slipping on a silk robe that Natasha had handed to her. "Some couples don't have to jump each other to be happy, Tony."

"Yes, but sex releases hormones and will make you mellow for your trip tomorrow. And dear god you two need to be mellow!" He made shooing motions with his hands, before stalking out of the room to hunt down Bruce.

* * *

"Tex wants you in the bedroom, apparently she's found something that will interest you... A lot." Tony said, grinning down at Bruce as the younger man groaned and got off the couch. "Believe me, you will be amazed."

"Why wasn't it on the main computer, and why in the bedroom?" Bruce asked, pinching the bridge of his nose once again before shaking his head. "I swear, if she has decided to sneak attack me with a paint ball gun, I will kill you Tony."

"Noted big man. I'll see you in the morning, I'm gonna catch an early night so I can take Pepper to the airport tomorrow. I've never done that before, and I'm sure she'll enjoy it." Tony gave Bruce a small wave and walked away.

"Who ever is listening, please don't let it be a paint ball attack!" Bruce grumbled, before going to his room.


	27. Chapter 27

"Sir, we got the signal again." Maria said, looking over at Director Fury, who was on the phone to Director Ice. "Did she get it as well?"

"Yes." Director Fury said, before hanging up the phone. "She got the signal as well, so it seems that no matter where you are on the planet, if you tune in to that frequency you get the message." He sighed as he ran his hands over his head, a sure sign that he was under a lot of stress.

Getting up from the desk he walked over to the radio, picking it up as he listened to the message once again.

"**We are coming. We are coming for the boy."**

* * *

"Tex, where are you?" Bruce asked, walking in to the room and shutting the door after him. "Tony said you wanted to sp-" His sentenced died on his tongue as he stared at Tex. She was leaning against the door frame that led in to the bathroom, playing shyly with a sash that was connected to the robe she was wearing. But the robe wasn't the reason he was staring, it was what was under the robe that had caught his eyes and stopped his breath in his chest.

"Hey..." Tex said, her voice low and had a small, shy quality to it. "I was doing research tonight... And guess what I found?" She moved away from the door frame and walked towards Bruce, who gulped and pressed himself back against the door a little more, his eyes searching hers to make sure she hadn't been drugged, or was drunk.

"That you can fit nicely in to a corset?" He asked, before mentally punching himself for such a stupid thing to say. He swallowed and let his eyes travel slowly down her body and then back up to her face, swallowing again when he saw the smirk playing on her lips.

"It seems..." She moved to press against him, her lips brushing over his ear as she whispered in to it. "That the night after your transformation... You are radiation free." She gently kissed his ear lobe, making him shiver and hold on to her hips, his fingers biting in to her flesh. He felt the other guy stir at the back of his mind, making him cling even more to her as he fought with himself to push her away.

"Please... Dianne..." Bruce managed to gasp, closing his eyes as she nipped at his pulse point. Damn those erogenous spots, and damn Tex for knowing every single one! "How can we be sure it's safe?" He pushed her away, staring in to her blue eyes, which were darkened with lust. "What if he shows up...?"

"He won't..." Tex paused, staring in to Bruce's eyes and stroking his cheek lovingly with her thumb. "I know he won't, this isn't going to induce any of your trigger emotions. Unless I scare you that much..." She smiled when he let out a small chuckle and moved his head to kiss her palm. "Don't be sweet and romantic, I'm meant to be seducing you..." She blushed softly when he pressed his lips to her wrist.

"Dianne, you don't need to seduce me." Bruce whispered, spinning her around and pressing her to the door, his lips finding hers in a searing kiss. She battled for dominance of the kiss for a few moments before his fingers found the back of her neck, and she shivered under his touch as he ran them over her first vertebrae on her back. "Because you do it by just walking in to the room." He whispered against her lips, before kissing her again.

"Cheesy much?" Tex asked in a breathless laugh, pulling away from him and pushing him to sit on the bed. Moving to kneel on her knees between his legs, she smiled shyly up at him, blushing softly when he moved a curl behind her ear. "Do you want this, Bruce? Please tell me before I start anything, I don't want to go to fast..." She whispered, pressing kisses to his fingers, before capturing his wrist in her hand and bringing his middle finger slowly to her lips, her eyes never leaving his as she gently sucked on the tip of his finger.

"I want you... I want this..." Bruce managed to say in a breathless tone, before all thoughts left his mind as she slowly undid his fly.

* * *

"Well, there is a new expression!" Tony said, grinning at Bruce as he walked in to the kitchen. "A smile and messed up hair, do I dare believe something more then sleeping happened last night?"

"Shut up, Tony." Bruce said, blushing as he continued to read the paper, ignoring the way Tony chuckled as he moved around the kitchen to get his breakfast. "And before you ask, no I did not wear Tex out and she's still sleeping, she's helping Loki get ready before we leave."

"So, excited for your day trip, Steve?" Tony asked, worry on his features before it was replaced by a smirk. He really was worried about how Steve was adjusting to the world, but he tried his hardest not to let it show. He had an image to protect and all that jazz.

"Actually, I am." Steve said, looking up from his bowl of cereal with a grin. "I used to love going to the zoo when I was a kid, my family and I used to go all the time, before my father died." He looked back down at his bowl of cereal sadly for a moment before he started to eat once again. "I just hope I don't get attacked by fans and well wishes again, it gets awkward." He added, blushing when Tony laughed.

"Ok, Loki is finally ready!" Tex said, walking out with Loki on her hip, his arms around her neck as he yawned sleepily. "Next time you give him pancakes with maple syrup you clean up the mess!" She added, poking Bruce happily before adjusting Loki on her lap.

"He looks tired, are you sure he's going to survive a trip to the zoo?" Bruce asked, frowning as Loki yawned once more and nuzzled his face in to Tex's neck. "I made sure he was in bed early."

"He's been up since five." Tex said, laughing softly as she kissed Loki's cheek. "He was so excited he could barely sleep, that's why he is so tired."

"I wanna go!" Loki said, sitting up once more and stretching. "I wanna see the lion!" He added, making a roar noise at Steve and giggling loudly. "Anyway, Uncle Steve promised that he would get me ice cream!"

"I swear you would live off that if we let you." Tex said, placing Loki on the ground before frowning. "Hmmm, are we going to take our own lunches and have a picnic or buy food there?"

"Picnic!" Loki yelled out, grinning cheekily. "Then there is more money for presents!"

"He takes after you!" Bruce said, making Tex huff before starting to make the sandwiches, trying to ignore the fact that Tony had just slipped Loki some money.

* * *

The trip to the zoo had been fantastic, though it had made Tex homesick when they had come face to face with an Emu. Loki had been on his best behaviour, either holding her hand, Bruce's hand or being carried around on Steve's hip. She was sure that there were still stunned women frozen around the zoo from where he had walked past them and their hormones had frozen their brains.

But now the sun was setting, and she had a sleeping Loki in her arms whilst Bruce held the gigantic lion toy that Loki had brought with the money Tony had given him. At first he wanted to know if Tony would buy the whole zoo, but Tex said no before he even had a chance to ask Tony himself. They were waiting at the exit for Steve, who had vanished fifteen minutes ago when they were in the reptile area. They had figured he would find them at the exit when he was done, and so she stood there with Bruce.

"You don't think one of those crazy women kidnapped him?" She asked, turning to Bruce who chuckled and shook his head. "Then what is taking him so long?" She glanced at her watch, frowning with worry.

"Stop thinking on how to tell Fury we lost Captain America." Bruce said, grinning when Tex glared at him. "He'll come back, he's probably just found a cool animal and lost track of time. Let him have a break, but before you freak out any more and get SHIELD in here to do a full search, I'll go find him." He placed the lion toy at her feet and walked back to the reptile house, his hands shoved in his pockets as he made his way.

He paused by the alligator exhibit as he spotted Steve, but the captain was not alone. Standing next to him was a woman, who was wearing what Bruce instantly identified as 'Rockabily' clothing (thank you Darcy's fashion magazines!) which was basically just clothing from the 50s. He had hoped to high heaven that Steve would never meet someone who wore the fashion, in case it freaked him out or made him believe something that wasn't true.

Moving closer to them, he paused as he listened to their conversation, feeling only slightly guilty at eavesdropping on his friend. He frowned as he realised that the young woman was in fact an African American woman, Steve tried to hide it as much as he could, but Bruce knew that he still felt uncomfortable around them, it was hard to get rid of what you were brought up with in only a few months time.

"Rosa Parks, man!" The young woman said, smiling up at Steve. She had her hands behind her back in a polite stance and wasn't that close to Steve that she was in his personal space. "She refused to give up her bus seat for a white passenger in 1955, and that helped the civil rights movement. But you were frozen before then, weren't you?" She paused as Steve nodded, glancing at her before looking back at the snake. "I'm nervous around people in Turbans ever since 9/11. I know I shouldn't be judging them, but that's how I've been brought up."

Steve paused and stared at her, which made her giggle and grin at him once more. "Really? People now a days seem to be able to coincide with everyone with no problems..." Steve said, his hands shoved in his pockets as he moved slightly towards her, so she wasn't angled in such a weird way to speak to him.

"People now a days can hide it a lot better then when you were last here. But racial violence is still out there, just like there are still Nazi's out there. Things don't change that radically over a few decades, and I don't think things will ever change fully. There will always be a group of people that someone else doesn't like, Jewish, African American, Homosexual, Middle Eastern." She shrugged a little before placing her hands back behind her back. "I think it's just human nature, one of our darkest traits."

"Have you ever experienced it?" Steve asked. "Racial violence." He added, when she looked at him with a small frown.

"Oh yeah. I've been called the 'n' word by blond haired bimbos who thought I was flirting with their boyfriends. I've seen the way some elderly people look at me when I sit next to them on the bus. The stares are the worst, because you can't yell at someone for giving you a stare. Sometimes I wish they would just speak their minds and say what they are thinking about me..."

"What made you speak to me?" Steve asked, relaxing some more as he lent against the exhibit, his hands still in his pockets. "Seeing as you know about me, and how I might have reacted..."

"Dude, you _punched Hitler!" _The girl said, her hands coming from behind her back in her excitement. "I mean, you are Captain America! I used to have a ripped up poster of you on my wall, much to my brothers amusement, I wanted to talk to you because well... I wanted to. Plus you were totally having trouble saying the scientific name for the lizard."

Steve laughed and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, his cheeks flushing red for a few seconds before going back to their normal pale colour. "Well, it was a very hard name..."

"Sauromalus ater"

"How can you say it?"

"I work here." She said with a giggle, before poking her tongue out at him. "It's my day off today, but I wanted to come in and check on how the alligator babies were getting on. They only hatched the other day."

"Do you have a name ma'am?"

"Catalina, it's nice to meet you, sir."

Bruce watched as Steve extended his hand and gently brushed his lips over the back of Catalina's knuckles, making the girl blush and look at the ground shyly. He was about to back away, when Steve spotted him.

"Hey! Sorry, I got distracted, I'm coming now." Steve said, letting go of Catalina's hand and giving her a smile. "Baby sitter came to find me." He grinned when she laughed before he turned to walk towards Bruce.

"Mr Rogers." Catalina called out, making Steve pause and turn around. "I'm not African American, I'm Ugandan. If that makes any difference..." She blushed softly when Steve chuckled and sent her a smile.

"Finished spying?" Steve asked in a low voice, once he was walking beside Bruce again. "I didn't realise I needed to be watched at all times..."

"I'm sorry, Steve." Bruce said, blushing really hard. "I just... Forgive me if I sound rude, but didn't expect you to be able to speak to someone of colour... You know... Seeing as you came from a time when they were not treated that well..."

"I myself am shocked that I was able to speak to her without feeling like I would be condemned." Steve said, nervously chuckling. "But, I soon forgot about her skin colour as we chatted. She's a history major but she works here since the museum cut back jobs last year. Her brother is employed here, so he pulled a few strings to get her in. She's now studying a zoology course... She was telling me about Rosa Parks." He paused and scuffed his foot shyly against the ground. "She offered to take me to see the Holocaust museum..." He dug in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with a number scrawled on it. "If I wanted to go..."

"Look at that, I leave you alone for five minutes and you've found a new friend." Bruce said, making Steve blush harder. "I'm proud of the progress you are making, Steve. I know it must be hard, but we are all here to help. Even Tony."

"There you boys are, I was about to call it a night and head home." Tex called, grinning at them happily. "Shall we grab some take out for dinner?"

"I am dying for a good 'ol piece of Brooklyn pizza!" Steve said, quickly shoving the number back in his pocket. He walked after them, not noticing the paper as it fluttered out of his pocket and on to the ground behind him, being swept up and along the pavement in to a small gust of wind.

* * *

**Ok guys, I put Catalina in here because I wanted to gauge your reaction to her. Does she make you want to stab her with a pitchfork, or does she sound like someone that could get along well with Steve and teach him about what he's missed whilst being frozen? I've been working on her for awhile, and I just wanted to see what you guys think so far, trying to make a girl for Steve is extremely hard as I've found out.**

**Pitchforks are over there *points* and review button is down there *points*let me know what you think!  
**

**xoxo,  
**

**Jabberwocky.  
**


	28. Chapter 28

**Woah! Just felt tremors from an Earthquake that hit Melbourne. Nearly got shaken off the couch, felt like I was being woken up by Thor! O.o Welcome to 2012 I guess...**

* * *

Tony couldn't help the slight spring in his step as he made his way out to the kitchen, he had hacked in to the cameras at the zoo and had seen Steve speaking to a young woman, a very pretty young woman at that. He rounded the corner, instantly the sarcastic comment that was on his tongue died as he spotted Steve hunched up at the kitchen bench. Clint, Loki and Fi were in the middle of the lounge room in the midst of a 'serious' lightsaber battle.

"Well I was going to be a sarcastic bastard, but I won't now..." Tony said, moving to make himself a cup of coffee before turning to look at Steve. "What happened? I saw you getting chummy with a young woman yesterday, don't yell at me, we all knew I was going to hack the cameras. So why aren't you smiling like you've won the lottery?"

"It doesn't matter." Steve said, smiling as Bruce walked in to the kitchen, his hair sticking up at all angles and his shirt rumpled. "Sleep in the lab again?"

"Yeah..." Bruce mumbled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he waited for the kettle to reboil. "I was looking at samples Dianne took the other day, I lost track of time and passed out at the desk..."

"And the samples still turned out to be correct!" Tex said, walking in to the room, grinning as Loki yelled out mama and ran to her. Holding him on her hip she pressed a kiss to his forehead and turned to Bruce. "Weren't they?"

"Shut up, Tex." Bruce grumbled, taking his tea and sipping it with his eyes closed before looking at Tony, who had started to talk once more.

"What was her name? Come on Captain, you've got to give me something! She looked really nice, and you shook hands! Come on, tell me!" Tony gave Steve his best puppy dog eyes and pouted at the younger man, making Tex hit him on the head gently. "Ow..."

"Her name is none of your business." Tex said, instantly feeling protective of Steve once more. "Would you just leave hi-"

"Her name was Catalina, she worked there with the reptiles..." Steve said, blushing softly. "She kept saying dude and man in nerves, but she was really intelligent and bubbly. She said she would take me to see the Holocaust museum if I wished to see it, but I lost her number... She told me about Rosa Parks, and the fact she's nervous around people in turbans, because of the media around them..."

"How the hell did you lose her number?" Tony asked, already fiddling around with his iPhone (with his own upgrades). "I mean, don't tell me it fell out of your pocket..." He chuckled when he saw Steve blush harder and look at the ground, a sheepish look on his face.

"Oh dear... It seems that I am ringing a miss Catalina Robyn..." Tony grinned at Steve, who flinched away when he held the phone out. "Hurry up, Steve, say hello! Or you can hang up on her, either one... But I'm sure saying hello will be nicer."

With a glare, Steve took the phone from Tony's hand and quickly left the room after he had shyly mumbled a hello and told her who was on the phone. "What would he do without me?" Tony asked, taking Steve's occupied seat and grinning. "I am just that good."

Tex rolled her eyes and placed Loki down in his seat, before turning and starting on breakfast, seeing as no one else seemed to be doing it. "I have a mission, honey." She said, glancing at Bruce who nodded. "So I'll be gone for a few days, I'm sure you can handle Loki for that amount of time." She moved to get some eggs out of the fridge and groaned when she found another mouldy lettuce. "Bruce... Explain..."

"You weren't meant to find that one..." Bruce said, looking at her with a dead serious expression.

"I swear to Odin, Bruce, if you do something stupid again, I will kill you myself!"

"I wasn't going to do anything stupid with it!"

"Then what did you need it for?" She asked as she threw it in the bin.

Bruce remained silent, before letting out a small sigh and walking out of the room, not even bothering to say good morning to Loki.

* * *

"Sir, the message has changed..." Maria said, rushing in to the room and placing the radio on the table. "It just suddenly started to say this, I don't know what it means..."

"**Vi er her. Gutten vil bli vår. Alle som kommer i veien vil bli ødelagt.**"

"It's Norwegian." Director Fury said, frowning as he stood up and bent over the radio, which played the message once more in the same emotionless tone. "We'll..." He paused as his phone rang and answered it. "Fury."

"_It's Norwegian, it says; We are here. The boy will be ours. Anyone who gets in the way will be destroyed." _Director Ice's worried voice said through the phone. _"Nick, you need to tell them. They could be anywhere, and I do not believe they will stop until they get him. Please Nick, protect my daughter. You promised you would protect her..."_

"I will." Nick said, before hanging up the phone and staring at Maria. He relayed what the message said and then ordered a helicopter to take him to Avengers Tower to be ready for lift off in five minutes. Grabbing the file on the messages and the radio, he strolled out of the room, his heart hammering in nerves at the thought of another war with these creatures.

* * *

"Wait, you've never read Lord Of The Rings either?" Catarina asked, staring at Steve as if he had grown another head. "There is much you need to learn, young Padawan!" She added, stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets as she walked down Central Park with him, dodging couples and the odd horse and carriage.

"What is a Padawan?" Steve asked, glancing down at her. "Clint keeps calling me it as well, and then you just did it as well. I do hope it's not an insult!" He side stepped a young man who was texting on his phone and gently bumped shoulders with Catalina, a small blush creeping up his face before he quickly moved away from her.

"It's a Star Wars thing, basically it means a student of the force. Or when I say it to you, a student in everything twenty first century. I am sure your friend uses it affectionately, sort of like the teasing you would have given your friends back when you were younger. Remind me to lend you Lord of The Rings and Star Wars one day, that will get you on to the basic nerd level, then we shall move you up to the more serious stuff, like Star Trek. Don't look at me like that, they can't shove you in to this century and fill you up on the bad stuff without letting you enjoy the good stuff!"

"And what other good things have I missed out on...?"

"Woodstock, Abba, the era of disco... The hippie movement, the protests for the Vietnam war... And some awesome TV shows." Catalina fell in to silence as they continued to walk, each deep in their own thoughts. "I think I have something that is going to blow your mind...!"

"If this is going to be anything like Tony's things that blow my mind..." Steve started, but Catalina just laughed and led him away from the park, moving towards one of the shops. She didn't touch him, which Steve was thankful for, people in this century seemed to like touching and invading peoples personal space more then he had gotten used to. Or perhaps that was just SHIELD...

"What are you showing me, i've seen a supermarket before..." Steve said, stopping when Catalina stopped in the middle of an aisle and pulled something from the shelf. "Is that..." He frowned as he took the item from her hands and read it. "A sandwich in a can?"

"Yep! A Canwich! For those lazy days when all you want to do is open a can instead of making a sandwich. I've never eaten one, so I don't know what it's like... But by what is written on it, I think it just _barely _passed the food safety testing they do.."

Steve was about to reply when his phone went off, frowning as he dug it out of his pocket, he saw the words 'Avengers Assemble' and sighed loudly. "I have to go, I've been summoned." He placed the can back in her hands and smiled at her. "Thank you for taking me to go see the place, it was good to see that people haven't forgotten..."

"I don't think they ever will, Steve. Not if we want to learn from our mistakes." She placed the can back on the shelf and returned his smile. "I'll see you around."

"Yeah, I'll see you around."

* * *

"Bruce, you can't keep doing this!" Tex said, slamming her hands down on the table and glaring at him. "The poor kid is getting whip lash from you!"

"I told you that I wanted nothing to do with him!" Bruce shot back, slamming his own hands on the table as he returned her glare with one of his own.

"Then why do you keep insisting on doing things with him?"

"Because I want to be with you!"

"HE COMES WITH ME!"

"HE SHOULDN'T! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THIS, DIANNE!"

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, BRUCE! YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ME AND YOU **WILL NEVER** BE THE BOSS OF ME!"

Bruce came around the table and grabbed Tex, slamming her in to the wall and glaring at her, the anger in his eyes made her shrink a little away from him. "SHIELD is using you, Dianne. Just like they have done before. It doesn't matter if your mother is part of them, they don't care who their family is. They just care about what they can get out of the people!" He hissed, his fingers biting in to her arms as Tex whimpered in pain. "Do not be so stupid to think they care about your help!"

"I'm not doing it for SHIELD, I'm doing it for Thor!" Tex snarled, gasping as his fingers dug deeper in to her skin, drawing blood from the half moon indents his nails were making. "He asked, he came to us for our protection and help, who was I to deny him?"

"Who were you to think you could bring me out of my madness?" Bruce snarled, pressing against her. "The young Australian girl, so caught up in the fact she was getting the attentions from a brilliant scientist she never stopped to ask herself if these were the attentions she wanted!"

"A brilliant scientist, to maddened by abuse at the hands of his alcoholic father to ask himself if playing with Gamma radiation was the smartest idea..." Her insult was cut off by Bruce pressing his lips against hers in a heated and angry kiss.

"I hate you..." He whispered, picking her up to sit her on the desk, standing between her legs as his lips found her neck, biting and sucking at her skin as she raked her nails down his back, knowing that she was leaving red angry marks.

"So do I, Bruce. So do I!"

* * *

Tony watched as Bruce walked in to the room, the other scientist kept his eyes to the ground and quickly moved to take his seat, it was another minute or so before Tex entered the room, not even looking at Bruce as she sat down between Natasha and Clint (who had Fi on his lap). Tony watched as Tex pressed a hand to her throat when Natasha whispered something to her, before quickly flicking the collar of her jacket up.

Before he could say anything Director Fury walked in and placed a folder and radio on the table, before looking at each of them, glaring at Fi until she slid in to her own seat. "For the past few weeks we have been getting messages through the radio frequency, a frequency that has been dead since WWI... The messages are about Loki, we believe they are being sent by the same person who he worked with..." Director Fury said, before being cut off by Tony.

"Loki has his memories, clearly he will be able to tell us who is doing it!"

"Loki is a child, I do not want him to think on those memories!" Tex snapped, glaring at Tony. "he has enough nightmares as it is! What Odin did was inhumane! The boy is a child with memories he can not hope to understand!"

"And who are you to question my fathers motives?" Thor boomed, glaring at Tex who glared straight back at him.

"I'm the only mother that Loki has that ever wanted him!"

"My mother raised him like a son!"

"Yes, so her husband could use him as a pawn and rip everything he ever knew away from him! Telling him stories of the evil Frost Giants, before telling him that he _is _a Frost Giant!"

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO SPEAK OF SUCH THINGS?" Thor yelled, standing up and glaring down at Tex, who stood up and pulled the knife from the back of her jeans, it was then that Tony saw the finger marks around her neck. He glanced at Bruce, who had his eyes closed and seemed to be meditating, before he stood up and placing his hand on Thor's arm.

"I am sure that Tex just has Loki's best interests at heart, just like you do, Thor." Tony said, keeping his voice level and not sitting down until Thor had sat himself down and Tex's knife had vanished from sight once more. "Now, why have you only told us this now?" Tony asked, looking up at Director Fury.

"Because they claim they are here. They say anyone who gets in their way will be destroyed..." Director Fury stopped as Tex took off out of the room, Thor close behind her. It took them three minutes to return, a sleeping Loki in Thor's arms and a bag in Tex's.

"I request a plane to Australia." Tex said, staring at Director Fury. "Loki and I can hide there whilst you deal with this threat. They will not be able to find us there, believe me when I say that. I will leave you a sample of Loki's blood, no doubt Dr Banner..." No one missed the way Bruce flinched when she said that. "...Can recreate a sufficient reading for them to pick up as if it was Loki. Thor will bring me a potion that will bind Loki's powers, meaning they will not be able to sense him. Once the threat is dealt with, we shall look at how we shall manage depending on the outcome."

"And if the outcome is not good...?" Director Fury asked, watching as Tex slowly slid the knife from her pants and turned to glare at him.

"If you even _think _of turning my son over to them, I will gut you like an animal and enjoy every minute of it!" Tex snarled, her voice low and menacing. "Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"My jet can be up in the air in half an hour..." Tony said, looking between them as he fiddled with his phone once more. "Give the ok and let them go, Director. We can handle this..."

Director Fury looked around the table, before his eyes landed on Tex once again. "Go, stay safe and stay low." He watched as she left with Thor and Tony after giving him a curt nod. "The rest of you... Dr Banner, work on that blood sample and get that reading out there, Natasha and Fi, go fishing for information in the lower city, I'm sure one of your birdies have heard something. Clint, I want full surveillance on this tower set up in the next hour, anything you need SHIELD will deliver it and Captain, I need you to head this team whilst I head SHIELD. You are the only man I want in charge, if Stark doesn't like it, send him away. Understand?"

There were mummers of 'yes sir' and an 'aye aye' from Fi before Director Fury left the room, already on the phone to Director Ice to tell her the new plan.

"N-natasha..." Steve said, blushing as he looked at the Widow. "C-can you type out a message for me on this thing? I can't seem to get it right." He grinned at her sheepishly before handing over his phone. "I just want to say that I'll be busy for a little while, and I'll speak to her as soon as I can." He watched as Natasha typed away on the phone, before handing it back to him so he could read it. "Thanks, Natasha."

"Any time, Steve. But you really need to learn how to text one of these days." Natasha said, pushing herself from the table and stretching.

"It's on my to do list, after watching Star Wars."

* * *

**Ok guys, thanks for all your reviews, they really make my day! We have now entered the dreaded stage of them coming to take Loki back for his punishment! And Tex has taken him down under to keep him safe. Do not fear, you will be able to see what is happening on both sides of the world!  
**

**Just a little disclaimer, I own nothing apart from Tex, Fi and Catarina. All towns/places that are mentioned as Tex and Loki travel to find a place in Australia are real towns/places unless stated otherwise.**

**Thank you all again for reading and putting this story on alerts and in your favourites and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story as much as you have enjoyed it so far. :D  
**

**Jabberwocky!  
**


	29. Chapter 29

**Tex:**

Running, she was always running, but this time she ran with something more precious then any scientific research on Hulk, she ran with her son. He had woken on the jet on their way to Australia and she had explained that they were going on a holiday, but he knew that she was lying. Her hair had been cut to hang just below her ears and was now dyed a deep red, green contacts covered the normal crystal blue of her eyes and her clothing had changed from jeans and a shirt to a dress and sandals. Loki's hair had been cut shorter as well and now spiked up with some sparkly gel, which he delighted in when ever he spotted the sparkles in the mirror.

Getting off the jet at Essendon she was instantly wrapped up in a hug from her mother, who had brought Loki a small gift (which was a kids size bow and arrow). "The safe house won't work this time." Director Ice said, turning to look at Tex, who had put Loki on her hip. She had made sure to wear a scarf around her neck to cover the bruises that were developing after her very physical fight with Bruce, which had turned in to some rough love making on the bench, she was still feeling slightly ill from the amount of Gamma radiation she had got from him, but the tablets were working to fix that. A little part of her mind wondered if he had managed to heal the cut down his chest from her blade, he always forgot about the blade in her sock.

"I know, I do not wish Loki to be taken away from society.' Tex said when she realised her mother was staring at her and waiting for a reply. "We'll have to stick to the smaller areas, just in case. There is to much risk if we stay in Melbourne, I was thinking going to stay with Tylor will be the best option..."

"In Ballarat? No, no you won't be able to live there, they are digging up some more remains. You could always go to Castlemaine you know Helen would love to have you back there..."

"No, Loki wouldn't get along with the twins... I'm not taking him to Coober Pedy, the town is to small and he'd stick out like a sore thumb." Tex chewed on her lower lip as she thought, before staring at her mother. "No! No I am not going there! I swear I will get in that plane and vanish if you suggest it."

"Dianne, it's for the best!"

"Really? Are you bloody sure it's for the best? Or do you just want to put him and I back in the same room once more?"

"I know that ship has sailed, so don't worry. But he will protect you with his life..."

Tex let out a huff and glared at her mother, before hugging Loki closer to her as they walked across the tarmac in to the waiting car. "Let's start our adventure, hey buddy?" She smiled as Loki grinned at her, excitement shining in his eyes as he tried to take everything in.

"Where are we going, mama?" He asked, snuggling down in the seat happily and frowning as they started to drive on the wrong side of the road. "Mama we are gonna crash! Make him drive properly!"

"Oh no honey, this is how we drive over here." Tex said, laughing softly at his panicked expression. "It's ok sweetie, we won't crash. And we are going to a town called Bargo It's a lovely place with an animal sanctuary and all, we'll be staying with one of mama's friends, his name is Henry."

"Will daddy be there?"

"No honey, daddy will be working..." Tex whispered, pulling Loki closer and pressing a kiss to his forehead, hoping that Thor would hurry up with the binding potion.

* * *

It was two am when they arrived in Bargo, Loki had fallen asleep against Tex half an hour ago, her heart broke when he mumbled Plod. Getting out of the car once it had pulled up, she stretched and stared as a tall man with bright red hair walked down the drive to meet her, a Dingo at his heels.

"Dianne, when your mother rang to tell me you were coming, I thought she was pulling my leg..." He said, smiling warmly at the glaring woman. "I know, I know, you never wanted to see me again, but I can protect you..."

"Henry, you haven't lost your accent I see." Tex said, turning away from him to pull Loki out of the car as the man pulled the bags from the boot. "I packed light, as you can see..."

"Don't you always, Dianne? And whose the little fella?"

"My son, Loki." She cradled Loki against her as she followed Henry in to the house, trying to ignore the way the Dingo sniffed at her. "How many years have you lived here, and they still have not gotten suspicious?"

"A Faery can live where ever he likes, Dianne. And I 'die' and change my appearance every eighty or so years, then a relative who I left the farm to in my will shows up! I'm a red head again as you can see!" Henry ruffled his hair before pointing to a small bed. "That will be for the little fella, your room is next door, unless you want to sleep in here... Of course you do. You can use the camp stretcher for tonight then, I'll bring the bed in here tomorrow."

"We should be getting a visitor soon, to bring a potion for Loki to bind his powers for a month, until we can catch who is after him." Tex said, placing Loki in the bed and tucking him in, frowning when she saw the Dingo already stretched out on the foot of his bed. She paused as she noted the Dingo had blue eyes, before rolling her eyes and staring at Henry. "Your sister is a Dingo?"

"Punishment, she decided to turn all the Dingos in the sanctuary pink for a day. Now she's stuck as a Dingo for a year." Henry said, patting the Dingo happily before walking out. "No doubt I shall see you in the morning, Claire here!"

Tex waited until the Dingo left the room before she shut the door and sunk down on to the camping stretcher, tears falling down her cheeks as she brought her legs up to her chest and hugged her knees. _Why did you ask this of me, Odin? Why did you not put him under Natasha's care? Or anyone else's care? I'm in love with a man who contains a beast, we just got in to a physical fight, we are not the right people to raise Loki! I'm not a mother, I'm an agent of SHIELD! My best friend is a cold hearted killer! _She sobbed softly before quickly drying her tears, she needed to remain strong for Loki. No matter what, she needed to make sure that he was safe and well protected.

That night she fell asleep with her dagger in her hand, ready to strike anything that came in to the room.

* * *

**Bruce:**

"So... Finger marks around her neck..." Tony's voice sounded like he was shouting as he walked in to the lab, making Bruce tense up and grip the eye dropper a little harder. "So I went on the security tape to see what had happened... Boy oh boy did I get a surprise! Remind me to order a new bench in, this one might need to be burnt..."

"My private life is _private _Tony." Bruce said, trying his hardest to keep his voice calm and low, instead of snarling like an animal. He moved to the other end of the lab, a slide in his hand as he slid it under the microscope. "This is impossible!" He snapped, slamming his hands on the table. "Every time I try and recreate the signal his blood gives off it just dies! It's like the only way I can get a signal is to have him alive next to me!"

"Have you tried replicating everything including the DNA?" Tony asked, walking to stand next to Bruce and frowning down at the slide.

"No, why would I do something as intelligent as that? Of course I tried that, it was the first thing I tried! I've also tried to take the gene that carries the signal and put it in to something else living, everything just dies! The longest something has held it is five minutes."

"You mean in order to get the signal, we need another Frost Giant, or Loki?" Tony asked, staring at Bruce who nodded, before taking his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Which means when Loki drinks that potion, the signal will vanish..."

"And without drinking the potion, they will find him instantly..." Bruce whispered, staring at Tony with worry in his brown eyes. "Which means both he and Dianne are in trouble!"

"Put the gene in me..." Tony said, making Bruce stare at him like he was insane. "The Arc Reactor keeps me alive, I'm not a normal living thing. Put the goddamn gene in me now! I can give off the signal, they won't have to know!"

"No, it wouldn't work Tony. Our biology is not made to hold this type of gene..." Bruce said, pausing as his mind started to race. "Radiation... It might just be the key!" Shoving past Tony he hurried to the end of the lab and started to get things ready to draw some blood from himself. "The radiation in my blood might be enough to stabilise the gene, meaning then I can implant my blood and the gene in to subject..."

"How long will it give it?" Tony asked, rushing to his side to help him when he realised how hard Bruce was shaking. "The radiation will destroy its body, how long will it live for?"

"A week, probably a little more if I can keep it stabilised with medication. But it won't be longer then two weeks, Tony we need to find them quickly, this will be the last attempt I can do."

"We'll find them, Bruce. Don't worry, we'll keep your family safe."

"There not my family..."

"Keep telling yourself that, big guy."

* * *

**Fi:**

"Any luck Natasha?" Fi asked, pulling her top on with a shudder as she stared down at the sleeping man. She pressed the phone back to her ear as she picked her high heels up and walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly as she listened to the Russian speak.

"_Same as you, Fi. Man in a long robe who always hides his face going around asking for machine parts and workers. Blue eyes and mind control, just like what happened with Clint. It seems that Loki was not the one controlling them, but the staff with the Tesseract. Which means that they must have another one with the same power... I also may have accidentally killed this birdie..."_

"Natasha! Fury said not to kill them." Fi said with a loud sigh. "You know what, that doesn't matter. We are getting the same story from all of them, and I'm sick of using my body to gather information, I just want to go home and scrub myself and crawl in to Clint's bed." She hung up after Natasha agreed and threw her heels in to the back of the car, before driving back to the tower.

Instead of hiding under Clint's covers for the rest of the night, she sat with him on the roof of the tower, a cup of coffee in her hands and a bow resting on her lap. "Clint, i'm scared." She said, looking at him when he glanced at her. "I can cope with killing someone, I can cope with sleeping with someone to get information if it's for the best interest of the world, but... Aliens..." She shuddered a little and took a sip of the coffee, smiling softly when Clint wrapped an arm around her and brought her closer to him. "What if they get you again?"

"They won't..." Clint whispered, bringing her in for a quick kiss before pulling away. "It was Loki who did that, not these guys. These guys just want to fulfil the promise he made them, and instead he ran away and got changed in to a child... Is it wrong for me to want to actually _hand _Loki over to them?"

"No Clint, I am sure most of the people in this tower feel the same way after what Loki has done. But Fury does not want to anger the Asgardians..."

"Fuck the Asgardians, I don't want to anger Tex!"

Fi let out a small laugh and brought the coffee cup to her lips once again, before handing the rest to Clint. "Remind me when this is over to teach you how to play Strip Mario Kart..."

"And that is why I'm still married to you!"

* * *

**Ok, as you can see this chapter is split in to the different parts for the people it pertains to. Is it easy to read, or do you guys want me to find a different way to do it? And yes I know Tex's is huge, and then it ends on Fi and there is only a little bit of Bruce, but I wanted to show what this does to each of those girls. It has taken someone as strong as Tex and broken her down to questioning why this has happened to her and it has forced Fi to do the thing that she hates to do the most, use her body in order to get information. **

**I guess I just wanted to show how a battle affects people differently, even if they are after the one goal. I hope that came across easily in this chapter, otherwise I failed and thank gosh I explained it in this authors note xD**

**Next chapter will feature Catarina and Steve once again and also Tony being a pain in the ass to Bruce.**

**Thank you for all your reviews, they mean so much to me!**

**Jabberwocky.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Steve:**

"Hey Cap!" Tony's voice came over the coms and it was honestly enough to make Steve flinch in annoyance. At the moment he was in Central Park after Bruce had found a spike of something that he called 'weird shit', and when the man who is infested with Gamma radiation says it's weird, you need to check it out.

"What do you want, Stark?" Steve asked, shoving his hands deeper in to his jacket pockets. He had gone out in civilian clothes in order to stay under the radar, he really didn't want to deal with 'fan girls' as Tony had dubbed them when he was trying to work.

"You need to go to the zoo..."

Steve felt himself blush before he kicked a rock and stopped walking, looking around the empty park. "Tony, unlike you I am trying to work, which means that I don't need you to try and get me to use that time to see someone!" He said, his voice level but still showed how annoyed he was. "I mean seriously, Tony! Can you not take this seriously? Last time these guys came in they destroyed New York and nearly kill-"

"Steve, you _really _need to go to the zoo!" Tony said again, and something in his voice made Steve turn and start to jog towards the zoo, his heart already starting to pound in his ear.

"Report." He said, skidding around a corner as he saw people running from the zoo. "Tony, talk to me!"

"S-S-Steve?" Catalina's voice came across the coms and the panic in it made his heart stop. He picked up his pace and started to weave through the crowd as Catalina talked to him. "There are aliens here, Steve, actual aliens. I'm in one of the food supply areas, there are three of them unconscious at my feet, martial arts pays off finally. I'm rambling in fear, sorry. They are doing something with the animals, they are using this blue light and the animals eyes just go blue and then do what ever they say. I just saw a chimpanzee rip a guys face off, Steve I'm scared!" There was a pause before Steve heard her scream and the coms went dead.

"Catalina? Catalina?" He called, before growling in frustration and making his way in to the zoo. Blood was splattered everywhere as animals attacked innocent people, he could see three of the same aliens from the first New York attack wielding a staff just like Loki's, only smaller. "Tony, I need SHIELD down here now! We have animals attacking civilians under the same spell that held Clint when Loki first attacked. There's nothing I can do for these people, most have gotten out and the ones that haven't are to far gone to help. I'm going to find Catalina."

"Sure thing, Captain." Tony said, before vanishing again and leaving silence in Steve's ear once more. Taking down two aliens that rushed him, he found the food room that Catalina was in, only because she threw a banana at him to get his attention. She was panting and holding a broom handle, which was bent and covered in the aliens blood, which was also splattered across her face and clothing (which was ripped and revealed a little more of her body then he felt he should see).

"You missed the party..." She panted, limping towards him and smiling at him in a nervous way. "They just came, there was a flash of blue light and then carnage." She added, he noted that she was barely putting any weight on her right ankle. "They've taken all the dangerous animals with them and only left a few to do this damage. Most of the injured and killed are zoo keepers and visitors. I have a group of children hidden in one of the class rooms..." Her voice trailed off when the sound of a helicopter filled the air and was then followed by gun shots. She shuddered at the thought of the animals that were being killed for something they had no control over, before pulling keys from her pockets and limping past Steve, using the broom handle as a walking stick.

"Woah, what are you doing, Catalina?" Steve asked, ignoring all the feelings of disgust mixed with anger at himself that were churning in his body as he grabbed her to steady her on her feet. "You look like you've broken your ankle... You can't keep walking around..."

"The children... They need to be rescued..." Her voice was faltering in pain as the adrenaline left her body now that she was safe, he knew that feeling all to well after the beatings he had received. "Please Steve, I need to go get them..." She frowned as he started to help her walk towards the class room, his arm never leaving her waist as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

He stayed silent during the walk there, an inner battle raging in his mind as he questioned how he was brought up and with what prejudice thoughts had been put in to his mind. Why did they think that black people were below them? Why had they decided they were the higher race? He frowned as he glanced at Catalina, her face was hardened from the pain and determination to make sure the children were still safe. She was a conundrum that his mind could not process as it battled itself over and over again, what would his family think if they saw him now?

"Would you stop having a racial debate in your mind and help me?" Catalina's voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he blinked and stared at her. "They must have blasted the door, I can't get it open." She added, motioning to the buckled door, which was no match for a nudge from Captain America, he frowned as Catalina mumbled something about eating his Weeties in the morning.

The children were shaken but unharmed when they were handed over to paramedics, Catalina had vanished from his side when he was swamped with children hugging him and thanking him for rescuing him. Ten minutes later he found her with a clip board in her hand, standing next to three other people in the zoo uniform, all ignoring their injuries as they assessed the dead animals and contained the ones that had gotten loose from the excitement.

"You need medical help..." Steve said, walking up to her as she jotted something down on the board. "This can wait..."

"No, please don't..." Catalina said, staring up at him with wide eyes. "This.. This is grounding me right now. I just saw _aliens! _I need to do this to save myself from crumbling, please Steve you need to understand that..."

"I understand it perfectly." Steve said, gently taking the clip board from her hands and giving it to a random SHIELD officer. "I draw, when ever I get back from a mission, I draw for hours at a time, it grounds me, it reminds me that there is still other things in life. But right now, you need to crumble and you need to be human. You need to cry and clutch the blankets to your chin as you tremble and wish you never saw it..." He gently wrapped an arm around her waist as he helped her towards the SHIELD car, he would take her back to Bruce to be healed instead of a normal hospital. "And then you pick up the pieces, because humans are amazing, and it seems Aliens just can't see that."

"How are we amazing?" Catalina asked, her voice weakening from the pain raging in her body and the exhaustion that threatened to claim her.

"Humans _always _pick up the pieces."

* * *

"The animals were compromised with the same energy that compromised Agent Barton?" Director Fury asked, staring down at Steve who was sitting next to the bed that held the sleeping woman, he was taking a five minute rest whilst things seemed to settle down until the next attack.

"Yes sir." Steve mumbled, his voice tired as he glanced up from his sketch book, he was sketching Catalina whilst she slept, another face in a book of memories. "Their eyes were blue and only went out when they were dying, they only took the most powerful beasts and then left some behind as what appeared to be either a warning or a promise."

"A promise?"

"Of what they can now do." Steve said, closing the book and resting the charcoal he was holding down on the cover, ignoring the smudges of black against his finger tips. "No doubt they've hit all the zoos in the world..."

"This is a world wide attack then..."

"I believe so, Sir. A full out attack on the world to prove their power, before they take what they came for. A punishment for defying them..."

"These guys are fucked up!" Clint said, walking in to the room with his hands in his pockets. "Every zoo has been hit, every dangerous animal taken... Tex is on the phone to Bruce now, they've taken the Dingoes from the Dingo sanctuary, she sings the same story as Steve here does..."

"So this is war..." Steve said, standing up and placing the art book on his vacated chair. "It never changes, does it?"

"I'm afraid not, captain." Director Fury said, Steve caught the small flash of worry in the Directors eye before it was replaced by his normal stern look. So the rumour was true, Director Fury had found love in the young Director from Australia.

"And now we wait for their next attack." Clint said, scuffing his boot on the floor. "I fucking hate waiting!"

"S-s-stop swearing in front of Captain America, it's unpatriotic!"

The three men spun around to see Catalina looking at them, her eyes heavy lidded from the pain killers Bruce had to give her before he reset her bones. "I think I'm high..." She mumbled, nuzzling her head back against the pillows.

"I want some drugs." Clint mumbled after she had fallen back asleep, much to Director Fury's annoyance.

* * *

**Bruce:**

"And are you and Loki safe?"

"_Yes, we are fine, Bruce! We are still at Henry's house waiting for Thor to turn up with the binding spell, but it seems that they don't want him so fast. Bruce, I'm needed here to fight, I need to put Loki somewhere he is safe."_

"Tex no!" Bruce said, gripping the phone a little harder as he stared around the room. "He is not safe there, no one is safe there, no matter what Jane says! They ruined him once, I won't let them do it again."

"_I wasn't thinking Asgard, Bruce. There is a place he can go where he will be safe until I can get him again. And if anything happens they will protect him until he comes of age..."_

"And how do you know that will be safe?" Bruce snapped, pacing back and forth in the lab as he waited for the blood transfusion to finish in to the rat so he can see if it will work and be strong enough to send out the signal that Loki gives out.

"_Because the prince of the faeries is going to take him there, they will not defy their royalty. Henry has already arranged it, the faeries are now involved Bruce, they took Claire when they took the other Dingoes..."_

"Does Fury know?" Bruce asked, pausing as he watched the rat twitch before it started to eat the food in front of it, so far so good. He started to move the machines to take reading towards the cage, listening to Tex chuckle before she replied.

"_Mum is telling him, as well as setting up anti-venom over to you guys in case you get some guests from our country... Keep Plod safe, Bruce. If they get their hands on a dinosaur, it will do more damage to The Avengers then anything Tony Stark can do."_

"Plod is completely safe in the tower, Tex. Do not worry about him, we are under orders to kill him before he is allowed to leave the tower. Fi said that she would be the one to pull the trigger, because not even Natasha can make herself kill Loki's pet. Just be safe, Tex."

"_You too, Bruce. I better go and help clean up the mess the aliens made. Tell me if you get any good news, fuck knows we need it..."_

"Given up on all religions?"

_"They keep trying to kill me, I think we need a break and some counselling..."_

Bruce was still laughing as he hung the phone up and went back to work on the rat, glancing over at Tony when the older man let out a sigh. "Now we wait." Bruce said, making Tony nod and run his fingers through his hair.

"I always hate waiting..."

* * *

**Clint:**

"Director, may I have a word?" Clint ask, jogging in order to catch up with Director Fury's brisk pace.

"What do you want, Agent Barton?" Director Fury asked, glancing at the agent before turning in to his office and shutting the door once Agent Barton was in the room. He turned around expecting to see Clint leaning in the chair happily, but instead came face to face with the archer, who was glaring at him.

"Now we know their activities, and they have made this move, I do hope you will stop making my _wife _and _friend _sell their bodies for information!" Clint said, his voice was light, but the undertone promised pain if it was needed. "I know what Natasha does, and that's fine with me, but not this time. She's been through enough, and the thought of another man touching my _wife_ makes me want to kill him with my bare hands. Now, I know a woman gets more information if she shows her tits, but enough is enough!"

"We need to know what they are going to do next!" Director Fury said, moving to sit behind his desk, his eyes never leaving Clint's as he gently took hold of his gun at his side in case he needed to fire a warning shot.

"We know they are building a machine and hiring workers, we know they have dangerous animals that they will probably release in all the major cities! Steve and Tony are working on what their next move might be whilst Bruce works on the signal. Do not make my wife and friend sell their bodies again, I will not allow it!" Clint still had not moved from where he had stopped when he walked in to the office, only his eyes had moved to follow Director Fury.

"We need this information more then ever!"

"Then send someone else out to do it!"

"They are agents..."

"THEN WHY HAVE YOU TURNED THEM IN TO HOOKERS?" Clint yelled, slamming his hands down on the desk and glaring at the Director, he ignored the gun that was now pointing directly at his forehead. "Why have you turned them in to something that they were not trained for?"

"But Agent Barton, they were trained for it!"

"Natasha was, not Fi! Fi has never been trained in this, she just does as she is told like a good solider! But I want her pulled from the field..."

"And what makes me think I'll ever do that, Agent Barton?" Director Fury asked, standing up to his full height and glaring down at Clint, the gun still trained on the archers face.

"She's three months pregnant." Clint said, staring up in to the Directors eyes. "We found out yesterday."

**The End!**

* * *

**Ok guys, don't murder me, but this is the end of this story! But do not fear, there will be a second one coming! I just liked the idea of ending the story at this point, like all good novels do! :D**

**I am already working on the second story which at the moment does not have a title, but I will put up an authors note on this story to tell you what it is called. :3 I hope you have enjoyed this first part and I hope to see many of you back with the next installment.**

**Jabberwocky.**


	31. Note

**Ok guys!**

**The sequel is up and running right now, under To The End...? I hope you guys enjoy it and I am so happy to be back writing in this universe I have created. **

**Xoxo,**

**Jabberwocky.**


	32. Note 2

Ok guys, as some of you have seen I have deleted To The End, only because I really hated how it turned out and it was just such a chore to get it out.

SO! I have decided to re-write it and post it up once it is done, so keep a look out for it. Thanks again for loving this story and I hope that I can get the second story right this time. :3

But if you need a fix of Bruce Banner and the Avengers, I am currently working on an awesome story called Folie à deux, which is a little spin on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with some surprises thrown in there. It will probably be a short story and not really have that much action, just the Avengers realising that SHIELD has more secrets then they care to let on.

xoxo,

Jabberwocky.


End file.
